Victor turned toward the direction Sakura indicated. He could vaguely make our six shapes moving through the fog, low growls echoing.
"Six," Sakura said. "No alpha this time."
Yuki stepped up beside him, her sword ready.
The pack came out of the mist in a loose wave. Victor met the first two head-on. The rusted blade flashed twice. Tetanus took hold instantly and both wolves dropped before they could recover.
Yuki took the third, sliding under its jaws and driving her sword up through its neck in one clean motion.
The remaining three lasted only a few more seconds.
When the last body hit the dirt, the notifications came in.
[You have defeated Level 1 Firewolf x6]
[XP Gained: 60]
(50% of 120 total XP)
[EP Gained: 6]
Victor dismissed the windows and looked back. Sakura was already wheeling closer, looking pleased with herself. Yuki wiped her blade and kept her eyes on the weapon, ears still faintly pink.
"We're getting faster," Sakura said.
Yuki only gave a short hum in reply.
The fog around them had grown thicker and the light had started to get dinner , with sun dissapearing on the horizon...
...
Victor rolled his shoulders once and checked their surroundings. The mist had grown heavier, swallowing the trees beyond ten meters. It would only get worse once night fully settled.
"We should stop here," he said. "Visibility's getting worse."
Sakura looked around, then pointed toward a small cluster of thick-rooted trees a short distance away. The ground there was slightly higher and drier than the surrounding bog.
"That spot looks good. Less mud."
They moved over. Yuki checked the perimeter out of habit while Victor cleared a few low branches. Sakura wheeled herself into the most even patch of ground and let out a long breath, stretching her arms above her head. The movements causing her boobs to strain against her top , and if going by Sakura's character then she was doing it on purpose. Victor didn't stare other than a single look which Sakura caught but she didn't say anything.
"I'm spent," she announced, a little too loudly. "All that scouting is hard work, you know?"
Yuki shot her a flat look. "You were sitting the entire time."
"Mental labor," Sakura replied solemnly. "Very draining." Then her eyes flicked between Victor and her sister, and a small, knowing smile tugged at her lips. "Besides, I should rest my eyes for a bit. You two can… keep watch or whatever."
She yawned theatrically, leaned back against a root, and closed her eyes. Within half a minute her breathing had evened out , or at least she was doing a very convincing job of pretending.
Silence settled over the small clearing as Victor glanced at Yuki. She was standing a few steps away, arms lightly crossed, eyes fixed on nothing in particular. The earlier pink in her ears had faded, but she still looked restless.
The quiet stretched and Victor was about to suggest they check the perimeter again when Yuki suddenly moved.
She walked straight up to him. Before he could ask what she was doing, her hands planted against the tree trunk on either side of his head, caging him in.
Victor was put in a Kabedon...
He blinked coming out of .
"…Yuki?"
Her face was scarlet. Deep, burning red that reached the tips of her ears and down her neck. She stared at his chest instead of his eyes, jaw tight, breathing too carefully.
For a second she didn't speak. It looked like she was forcing the words out.
"I… never properly thanked you," she said, voice low and stiff. "For the fang."
"The fang? You don't have to—"
"I'm not finished."
She finally lifted her eyes to his. The embarrassment was obvious, almost painful, but underneath it was that same stubborn resolve she used to get when she had already decided she was going to do something no matter how much it killed her.
"I still owe you," she muttered. "So…"
She leaned in....
The kiss started clumsy , too quick and a little off-center. Victor froze in surprise.
Then something old and familiar clicked into place.
His arms moved on instinct. One hand slid around her back and pulled her flush against him. The other rose to the back of her head, fingers threading into her white hair as he tilted her face and deepened the kiss.
Yuki made a small, startled sound against his mouth. Her hands, which had been locked on the tree, dropped and clutched the front of his robe instead. Her body tensed for half a second… then melted.
A soft moan slipped out of her as she kissed him back, no longer stiff or hesitant. She pressed closer, fingers tightening in the fabric, letting him hold her up as the kiss turned deeper and hotter.
Yuki pushed him back harder against the tree, her body pressed fully against his as the kiss deepened becoming messy and hungry.
Victor's hand slid down from the small of her back. His palm dragged over the lush curve of her hip, then lower, until his fingers hooked under her thigh. In one smooth pull he lifted that leg and hauled her flush against him, locking her there. His other hand stayed buried in her white hair, gripping just tight enough to keep her exactly where he wanted her.
The sudden possessiveness ripped a soft, broken mewl out of Yuki's throat. The sound melted straight into his mouth. Her fingers twisted tighter in his robe as she kissed him back with equal heat, no longer trying to pretend this was just a "thank you."
...
They kissed for a long time and when Yuki finally pulled back, her breathing was uneven. Her lips were slightly swollen, and a thin sheen of moisture clung to them. She stayed close, still clinging with her body pressed flush against him, but her expression had completely changed.
She looked at him with an aggrieved, almost angry stare. Her eyes were glassy, the edges threatening to turn wet.
"You…" her voice came out quiet and tight. "You were so casual with her."
Victor didn't speak. Yuki's fingers were still twisted in his robe. She gave it a small, frustrated tug.
"She kissed you on the cheek and was hugging and touching you like it was nothing. And you just… let her. You looked at her the same way you used to look at me." Her throat moved as she swallowed. "You're supposed to be mine."
Yuki's voice cracked.
"I know I'm the one who destroyed it," she said, the words coming out uneven. "I was the one who left. After the accident… after Mom and Dad died and Sakura—" Her throat tightened and she forced the rest out. "I wasn't okay. I couldn't take care of her and still be with you at the same time. I told myself I was doing the right thing by ending it. That you deserved someone who wasn't falling apart."
Her fingers twisted harder in his robe. The first tear slipped free, followed by another.
"Vic..I'm sorry." Her voice shook. "I was a coward. I didn't even face you. I just sent that message and disappeared. I regretted it the moment I did it. Every single day after that I regretted it. Every time something reminded me of you, every time I remembered how it felt to have you… I hated myself for running."
Tears were falling freely now and she didn't try to stop them.
"I told myself I would stay away if we ever met again. That I wouldn't drag you back into my mess. But I can't." Her breath hitched. "I can't keep pretending I don't still love you. I never stopped. Not when I left, not after all this time. I still love you, Victor."
By the end her voice was barely holding together. She looked up at him with wet eyes, not a hint of pride or stubborness on her face.
Victor looked at her for a long moment.Then he raised both hands and gently cupped her face. His thumbs brushed away the tears that kept falling, carefully as he had a soft expression on his face.
"Yuki…" he murmured, voice low then he leaned in and kissed her.
The first kiss was soft, barely there. Just the light press of his lips against hers before he pulled back a fraction. Then he kissed her again, and again with small lingering kisses, each one gentle and unhurried, like he was trying to let her feel how much she meant to him.
Yuki's fingers stayed twisted in the front of his robe. Her breath hitched every time their lips met.
"Vic…" she whispered against his mouth, the nickname coming out shaky.
He answered by kissing her once more, slower this time.
"Baby…" Her voice cracked on the word as she tilted her face up to meet the next soft kiss, eyes still wet and body leaning into him.
They stayed like that, trading quiet, repeated kisses under the thickening fog, neither of them in any rush to stop....
...
The kissing had stopped being soft a while ago and both of them were clearly worked up.
Yuki glanced to the side to check on her sister.
Sakura was still in her previous spot , eyes closed and her breathing steady. Except she was actually asleep this time.
Yuki looked back at Victor. Her face was red. She bit her lip and hesitated, then she leaned in closer so her voice stayed quiet.
"…I have a blanket," she muttered. "In my inventory...It's big enough."
She didn't look at him after she said it. Her ears were red, and she looked like she already wanted to take the words back...
...
Victor's eyes widened slightly. Desire was clear on his face for a second , then he shook his head.
"Not here," he said, voice low but firm. He still had his hands on her, but he didn't move to take it further. "I'm not doing this with you in the middle of a muddy forest."
Yuki looked up at him, still flushed and a little dazed.
Victor's thumb brushed her cheek once.
"It's been a long time," he said quietly. "I'm not going to take you against a tree in the dirt like this is some quick thing. You deserve better than that."
He didn't step away from her, but the decision was clear. He wanted her, that much was obvious... but just not here....