Strays: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure

Ivy sighed.

They had been in Lannistown for seven days now, and although they had a fancy room with fancy running water of which you could control the temperature, she had barely gotten to enjoy it the entire time. The days were spent either scouring over the seemingly endless shelves of books in the library or following around Sakura and Ren while they talked to different people about missing children and enchanted bushes and whatever else they found imperative to ask. They were up from sunup and didn’t get back to the room until well after night had fallen, and by then Ivy was lucky enough to stumble her way to bed. She had taken a bath in the elegant, claw foot, porcelain tub one night after returning and ended up falling asleep and slipping into the water. The panic of inhaling and choking on bath water wasn’t exactly how she had imagined ending her already unfulfilling day.

She only half listened to Ren and Sakura as they sat near her at the restaurant's table and discussed where they were going to go and with whom they were going to speak with. The fox continuously snatched morsels of food from the angel’s plate, of which he didn’t appear to be concerned about. It seemed as though the only time they could work together harmoniously was in regard to her and her missing past.

She looked down at her porridge and lazily stirred it around. It was bland and boring, exactly how she felt.

Slowly, she ventured a peek at Zero. He sat across from her quietly observing his food and slowly chewing. He poked the yolk of an egg, the yellow spilling forth across the plate.

Ivy knew that Sakura found his lack of expression unnerving and had a difficult time at reading him and his intentions. Zero must be a shock to the system after dealing with Ren, a man who not only voiced his intentions but basically beat the woman with them constantly, never giving up despite his constant failures in gaining her positive attention.

But Ivy found Zero’s consistent, calm demeanor comforting. He seemed to regard everything with a careful respect and only put forth effort into the things that were important and required him to do so. He was intentional, gentle, and considerate. He didn’t speak much but when he did it was significant and always just what needed to be said. The devil didn’t talk just for the sake of talking. Each and every word was meaningful and deliberately chosen.

Ivy didn’t have a lot of experience with men, Sakura had done a thorough job in preventing that, but what she did have wasn’t comforting or attractive in the least. They tended to be needy, grabby, and desperate. It really was better to just hide away under her cloak where she would be left alone. But she didn’t feel that way about the boy. Instead of trying her best to be invisible, she wanted him to see her.

And only her.

Zero’s eyes suddenly rose to meet hers. Her chest tightened and she panicked but forced herself to hold his gaze. His crimson orbs were pools of warmth that she found herself melting in every time they met her violet ones. The connection only lasted a few seconds before Zero looked back down, the warmth dispersing from Ivy. She looked back at her porridge.

Bland and boring.

She wanted something more.

She bit her lip hard and looked up.

“I don’t want to walk around today!” Ivy hoped her voice and stance was confident as her heart pounded in her ears and her three companions stared at her, surprised by the sudden outburst.

“We need to follow some leads today. I don’t think it’ll take too long then we can go to the library,” Sakura told her kindly, understanding how tedious the days had become and growing weary of it herself.

“I’m tired of following behind you and Ren while the two of you talk to people. There’s no point in me being there. Can’t I just go to the library and wait for you there?” Ivy didn’t want to go to the library again, but she definitely didn’t want to play baby duck to the fox any longer.

The woman’s compassion for the girl’s struggle quickly dissolved. “Why? So you can take off like last time?” she shot back.

Ren slightly raised his hand bashfully. “Oh. Sorry. That was actually my fault. I got a little too excited that Zero made a new friend.”

The woman looked at him lamely. “Of course it was your fault. Still, no. There’s too many people. Something could happen.”

Ivy knew that convincing Sakura was futile. Ren on the other hand…

“Please?” she asked, her question directed at the angel.

The man placed his hand over his heart and gasped. “Look at that. Look how adorable she is. How can you say no to that?”

“Easy!” Sakura snapped at the man then turned back to the girl. “No!”

“I can go with her,” Zero suggested quietly, his full attention on the demon. “I’ll make sure nothing happens. Just like I promised.”

“Well there you go,” Ren declared. “Zero will escort Ivy to the library and we’ll meet up there when we’re done. Everyone wins.”

The vixen hesitated. She didn’t like the thought of Ivy wandering around with so many people without her. She was such a sweet girl, but her behavior had started to become somewhat erratic. In and of itself, it wasn’t a huge issue. She was older now, no longer the child she had once been, and she deserved to have control over her body and decisions. She wasn’t destructive, on the contrary, she considered many different outcomes before coming to the best conclusion, always treading lightly. But she thirsted for independence that only came when not under the watchful eye of the person who practically raised you.

Then there was Zero. No matter what her current feelings were, Ren had brought him into their lives and that wasn’t anything to scoff at. She also wasn’t ignorant to the way he looked at Ivy despite his aloof attitude towards everything else. She wasn’t blind to the way he held himself like a shield around her. It would be ridiculous to try to convince herself that this protectiveness was simply bred from her telling him to do so. Gentle or not, good or bad, Zero was a devil and devils only ever did as they pleased.

And Ivy. Sakura knew those lazy, dreamy smiles. Those longing stares. Those minuscule fidgets and twists of the body as if a magnet were pulling you closer. She knew them, and she knew them well.

Her hesitation went on just a moment too long, and Ren was never a man not to take advantage of the woman’s weaknesses. The angel stood, tossed some coins on the table, and flipped the fox over his shoulder.

“Hurry!” he urged dramatically. “I’ll hold her down as long as I can! Run!” He turned and walked off completely unconcerned with a bored wave of his hand. “Okay. Bye. See you later.”

Ivy and Zero watched as Ren exited the restaurant with Sakura thrashing wildly and cursing the angel. Zero turned to Ivy.

“Do you think we should run?” he asked, unsure of the seriousness of the situation.

She smiled, “I do.” The girl leapt from the table, grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him out of the restaurant and in the opposite direction of Sakura’s screams.

They ran quickly and without so much as a backwards glance. They sprinted past the various structures and hordes of people. They ran until Ivy’s legs burned and she slowed to a walk. She wasn’t sure where they were but figured they’d find their way at some point.

“Do you want to rest?” Zero asked, completely unphased.

“No,” Ivy gasped. “I’m fine.” She vowed to start running more. Apparently, it was going to become a regular thing.

He looked around at the unfamiliar area. “I’m not sure of the way to the library from here. I could ask someone.”

“I don’t want to go to the library,” she admitted with no shame.

“Didn’t you say that’s where you were going?”

“I did,” her voice chipper.

“But you’re not going to go?”

“I’m not.”

Zero considered this, “Does that mean you lied?”

Ivy swung her hand that held Zero’s up and back, up and back, as she began walking aimlessly. It was larger than hers, and calloused, and warm. “I guess it does.”

He stopped, forcing her to do the same. “Ren told me that I shouldn’t lie.”

The girl stepped just before him, and violet peered up shyly. “But you’re not lying. I am.”

The devil nodded, deliberating over the complexity of the situation he had found himself in. “I’m not sure if that’s okay.”

“Zero. Be honest. Do you want to go sit in the library all day or do you want to explore with me?” She hoped he wanted the same thing.

Zero’s eyes seemed to soften a little. “I want to go wherever you go.”

Ivy smiled, “Good. Let’s go.”

They spent the morning in the art museum studying paintings, statues, and some sort of blob that had been haphazardly stuck together and deemed art. Ivy pointed and discussed the pieces, pretending she had any idea about what she was talking about, creating elaborate tales about the work and artists. Zero followed along, nodding now and then, and played along with Ivy’s lighthearted stories as he watched her bound exuberantly from one exhibit to the next.

As the afternoon crept closer, they made their way back onto the streets. They went slowly, looking into the windows of the shops and at the goods displayed. They stopped in front of a woman’s clothing store that flaunted elaborately made and very expensive dresses.

Ivy admired the layers of heavy fabric in the full skirts and the gems and embroidering that adorned their bodices. She imagined what it would be like to wear such an extravagant gown, and although the initial idea was fantastic, she ultimately decided that it would be uncomfortable and difficult to move in. Filth would find its way all throughout, and the delicate fabric would be torn to shreds within a few days of travel.

Zero observed the star struck girl and dresses. “Do you like those?” he asked.

“They’re pretty,” she sighed. “But they’d be wasted on me. Those types of things don’t last long when you’re rolling around forests and crossing deserts. Do you like them?”

Zero thought about it. “They’re big,” he decided.

“Yeah, they kind of are,” Ivy agreed. “But do you like them?”

The boy was silent.

“You can be honest,” she urged. “You can say no.”

He nodded and looked down at her, “I don’t like them. But I like being here with you.”

The girl turned back towards the window, grateful for her hood that hid her blush. “You should say what you want more,” she told him, “You always just go along with whatever, and never say anything. There’s nothing wrong with doing what you want sometimes.”

“What I want,” he repeated slowly, considering what it meant to him. “I want you to take your cloak off.”

Ivy inhaled sharply, looking at him almost panic stricken. “My cloak? I… I don’t know.”

“I don’t like it,” the devil said quietly, crimson boring down on her. “I like seeing you.”

Ivy’s stomach fluttered and her chest tightened. Taking off her cloak would be foolhardy… but she had told Zero to voice his wants. It really was a simple request and if she denied it, would he ever ask for anything again? Besides, it had been years since she’d been in a town without her cloak. Surely, those incidents would never happen again?

Surely?

“Okay,” she agreed, her fingers trembling as she tried to untie the strings. Zero placed his hands over hers, assisting her, and pulled the cloak, exposing her in front of the whole world.

She waited.

But nothing happened.

Nothing happened!

“Ribbon,” the girl chirped in amazement. People continued to walk by, and no one paid her any mind.

The cloak became a ribbon in Zero’s hands, and he tied it around Ivy’s neck, his fingers brushing against her skin leaving trails of fire. He looked at her a moment longer before grasping her hand in his and continuing down the road.

Ivy felt as if she was floating. Nothing was happening! She was just a normal girl walking down the street. No one grabbed at her, or stopped, or gave her more than a glance. Whatever had happened before must have just been some strange occurrences. Or a few mistakes. Maybe they had never even happened at all. It had been so long ago, after all. Perhaps she was remembering incorrectly?

An ice cream cart caught her attention, and her mouth began to water. She hadn’t had ice cream in months and the cold sweet was so tempting.

“Do we have any coins?” the girl asked hopefully.

Zero dug around his pants pocket and opened his hand. “A few.”

She pointed at the cart. “Can we get ice cream?”

He nodded and they stood in the short line, waiting their turn.

Ivy wasn’t sure if she had ever felt such joy. Everything about today was more than she could ever have imagined. She couldn’t wait for Sakura to see her, free from her cloak, and realize that there was nothing different about her at all!

The girl looked behind her and spotted a giant, silver fountain in the middle of the open city square. The water burst into the sky and was practically glittering like diamonds on the way down. She recalled reading about how if you throw a coin into a fountain’s clear waters, you can make a wish and it may come true.

“Can I have a coin?” Ivy asked, pulling on Zero’s hand. “Just one bronze?”

The boy looked down at their entwined hands and slowly pulled his from hers. He pinched a coin and dropped it in her waiting palm.

“I’m going to throw it in that fountain over there. I’ll be right back.” And she bounded off. Ivy stared at all of the coins sitting at the waters bottom. So many! They could stay at the inn for another week.

She clutched the coin tightly to her chest and closed her eyes. She thought of the little village in the mountains, of the cottage past the woodlands with bubbling creek close by. “I want to go home for good,” she quietly prayed and tossed the coin. She watched it sink to the bottom and smiled blissfully.

“Excuse me.”

Ivy turned to the man who had spoken, his eyes sleepily drooping and empty.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, almost dreamlike. “I love you.”

Ivy lurched back from the man, shaking her head. “No. Please,” she begged, her voice feeble. “Don’t do this.” She stepped away and was blocked by a solid form. Terror consumed her as she whipped around to face another dazed looking man.

“My one. My only,” he slurred and grabbed her arm, pulling her into him.

“Stop!” the girl screamed, trying to pull away as she was grabbed by another hand and then another. “Please! Please don’t!”

“Beautiful.”

“You’re so perfect.”

“I love you.”

More and more hands reached for Ivy as man after man suddenly surrounded her, declaring their love and devotion towards her. She tried to pull away, to escape and run, but she was so much smaller and not nearly as strong as all of the men who overwhelmed her.

She had been wrong. Nothing had changed. She was foolish. So very, very foolish.

And Sakura wasn’t here to save her this time.

There was a grunt to her side, one less hand, and the sound of a body hitting the ground. Ivy watched the hilt of a katana connect into the side of the head of the man in front of her and he dropped instantly. A flash of white was in her face and an arm wrapped around her back, lifting her off of her feet, pushing her out of the pile and further away from the befuddled men. She wrapped her arms around Zero’s neck, digging her face into his shoulder, as he ran through the city square towards the closest shop. He leapt high to the roof and continued his mad dash, jumping from one rooftop to the next. He finally stopped on the flat roof of a four-story high building a good distance away from where they had started.

Zero knelt and set the girl down. She looked up at him, his eyes wide and… terrified? She quickly averted her gaze, feeling sick, knowing that she had really messed up this time.

“What was that?” he asked, his voice sounding off. “Why did those people do that?”

Ivy felt so ashamed. “Because there’s something wrong with me,” she choked. “I knew I shouldn’t take my cloak off but I just wanted to be normal for once. But I’m not.” Tears started to spill across her cheeks. “It was fine, though. It was fine and I could walk, and no one noticed me. No one cared. Then they did, and the same thing happened as last time. As every time!”

The girl crumpled into herself. Zero sat there unsure of the best course of action. He started to stick his hand out but brought it back. Patting her head seemed so small and insignificant and he yearned for more.

“Earlier,” he said. “You said that I should do what I want.”

Ivy looked up, tears streaming, confused. “What?”

Without another word, the boy pulled the girl onto his lap and held her like glass, afraid to break her further.

“It’s okay if you don’t like it,” he spoke gently. “You can tell me. I’ll stop.”

Ivy laughed, crying harder. “I like it.” She burrowed her face into his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Zero laid his cheek on top of her head. “I don’t like when you cry. But if you do, I can sit here like this with you.”

She pushed further against his shirt, hiding her burning face.

After a few minutes, Ivy crawled from his lap, wiping at her damp cheeks. “I think we should go to the library now.”

He nodded and untied the ribbon from her neck, presenting it to her. “I think you should wear the cloak again.”