A/N: Hi everyone! So I've decided to release this update before the fanfic board gets swarmed with Christmas fics
As what ChuuuPuffss-san suggested, please treat this as my Christmas present to you!
It has absolutely nothing to do with the festive season though. I've gone back to my usual length for this update. Hope you'll enjoy it!
Note: This is a genderbend story.---
Painful RegretsRen cursed under his breath when his right knee rammed against the hard edge of a couch. Losing even more of his balance, he stumbled back into a wait staff holding a tray of empty glasses. There was an earth-shattering smash as the glasses broke into pieces. Ignoring the anguished cry of the unfortunate staff, he shoved the teenage boy aside as his black sneakers crunched on tiny glass bits.
Stupid things and people getting in the way.The normally benign man was in a very foul mood after witnessing his best friend canoodling with her boyfriend on the dance floor. In fact, he had been withholding his emotions ever since the start of the trip. Thinking that he could drown his frustrations in alcohol, he had hoped to lose as many rounds as possible during the drinking game. Alas, not only did that not help, he found his blood boiling at every little thing from the way Yuko’s rambunctious sloshed laughter hurt his ears to Rie and Akicha’s constant noisy munching to the furtive glances that Yuki and Mayu shared.
Those beautiful shy eyes… Why don’t they look at me that way?Ren clenched his teeth at the mental image of Yuki’s fingers lacing with Mayu’s as she leant against him on the sofa earlier. Releasing a low growl, he pushed past the last throng of people in between him and the club’s exit, not noticing the silent figure who was trailing his every drunken step.
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Matsui Jun spun his sleek black phone in between his thumb and middle finger as he leant against a wall outside Play by Mee. He thanked his lucky stars that the club’s entrance and exit were not too far from each other, allowing him to watch both areas from one spot. The only downside was not being able to see the backdoor. There was a thoughtful frown on the young officer’s face as he contemplated Mayu’s text in his phone.
‘We will be at Play by Mee tonight. Ren-san is not his usual self.’His dark brows knitted closer together when he recalled the next line.
‘If you are what I think you are, you will have no problem dealing with the homosexual rapist if he shows up.’Jun chewed carefully on his lower lip.
Mayu-san is scary. Has he already seen through me? Adjusting his washed out denim shirt’s collar self-consciously, he shifted his focus to the club’s exit. His eyes lit up when a familiar attractive face emerged from the purple flashing interior of the club.
Ren-san! Wait… he doesn’t look right. Jun winced when Ren crashed into a lady and was roughly shoved to the ground by her boyfriend. Knowing that Ren was wary of him, Jun fought back the urge to reveal his presence. To his surprise, a rather large man came forth from behind Ren and stopped the woman’s agitated boyfriend from throwing a punch in Ren’s face.
Who the hell wears shades in such a dark place?Alarm bells rang in Jun’s head when the unknown man slung Ren’s arm around his shoulders and helped him up. From his point of view, Jun detected mild surprise on Ren’s flushed face but after the stranger said something to him, Ren appeared to relax and allowed the man to guide him to the elevator that led up to the hotel rooms.
Damn it, I couldn’t hear what he said! Jun hurriedly weaved his way through the crowd, deathly afraid to lose sight of the duo. His eyes narrowed with growing suspicion when the man’s hand inched down from Ren’s arm to his waist to his hip.
Crap, they are going into the lift. Can’t lose them! As the pair entered the elevator, Jun snatched the hat off a dude beside him and tugged it low over his own head to conceal his eyes before making a mad dash towards the lift, pulling a Jackie Chan by barely slipping through the gap between the closing doors. There was an embarrassing thud when he smacked face-first into the glass wall in his haste. Feeling his ears grow hot, he shunned the man’s questioning stare and ducked towards the back corner of the lift.
Great… at least Ren-san seems too drunk to notice me.“Which floor are you staying at?” Jun heard the man ask Ren. His voice was low and smooth with a slight Okinawan accent.
“Twenty-fifth…”
Jun frowned.
This guy is definitely not one of Ren’s friends. After the man pressed for the twenty-fifth floor, he glanced expectantly at Jun whose frown deepened as he wondered what he wanted. Suddenly, his eyes bulged when he realised the situation and quickly jabbed a random button above ‘25’.
Phew. Almost blew my cover. Itano-senpai would surely give me the evil eye if he was here.As he regulated his breathing, Jun peeked at Ren under the lid of his ‘borrowed’ hat. The doctor appeared to be staring listlessly at the ground except for the occasional grimace when his knees wobbled. Jun placed a hand on his chest, feeling an unknown tightness gripping him.
The smell of alcohol was overwhelming in the small confined space as Ren breathed heavily in his half-conscious state, prompting Jun to wonder just how much alcohol he had consumed and what drove him to get himself wasted. With a soft ding, the elevator doors slid open and the man dragged Ren out. Jun waited till the doors nearly closed before he opened them again, sneaking behind the duo with the stealth of a prowling cat.
---
Mayu’s heart pounded against his chest as he raced back to the VIP area. God knew where his beloved had been taken to and he needed as much help as he could gather.
“Yuko-san!” his strained voice nearly broke. To his dismay, his mentor paid him no heed as she was giggling like a little schoolgirl and snuggling up to Mario of all people. The senior neurosurgeon was equally tanked, slumping against the back of the couch and stroking the petite woman’s soft brown hair with his eyes closed and a woozy smile on his face. “Yuko-san!” Mayu shook her shoulder and reeled in guilt when she ceased giggling and passed out suddenly, face slamming into Mario’s crotch. If the situation wasn’t so dire, Mayu would have facepalmed himself.
“Kojima-san,” he called in desperation.
The gynaecologist looked up at him although her eyes paused for a split second on the odd pair beside her.
“Do you have Atsuko-san’s number?” he was trying very hard to keep his panic in check. His heart fell when she shook her head.
“Why?” she asked.
Tightening his grip on Yuki’s necklace, he admitted, “Yuki’s been taken away by a stranger.”
Eyes widening, Haruna was stunned for a moment before she murmured, “Yuuchan has though,” and rummaged through Yuko’s handbag and dug out a phone almost entirely covered with shiny diamantes. Typing in the password with the familiarity of the phone’s owner, she made a call to Officer Maeda.
After ending the call, she told the younger doctor, “I’m coming with you.”
“No, it’s dangerous. You better stay here,” Mayu rejected her flatly, not wanting to implicate another woman into the risky situation.
“Kashiwagi-chan wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” Haruna’s normally relaxed eyes turned resolute as she stood despite the younger man’s protests. “I won’t get in your way, Watanabe-kun.”
Suppressing a sigh, Mayu realised he could not convince her otherwise and they made their way to the backdoor of the club where Mayu suspected the hooded man had taken Yuki to. The moment he slammed the heavy wooden door open, his breathing hitched when he found a familiar black strappy heel on the landing of the stairs. A lump formed in his throat as he bolted down the stairs to the first floor.
So much for staying by her side the whole night. I broke my promise. Stupid, stupid! I should’ve let her keep the handcuffs on!The scent of her hair still lingered on his shirt, bringing unshed tears to his eyes.
I should’ve kept her close. Her shy and beautiful smile that always warmed his heart surfaced in his mind.
I shouldn’t have let her drink so much.Her sobs when he was crushed in the earthquake racked his nerves.
What if she’s in pain now? He felt empty without her hand in his.
I miss you already, Yuki. Please be safe…Upon reaching the first floor, he barged through the emergency exit and was instantly swallowed by the darkness of a back alley. Haruna was by his side in a second as he contemplated which direction to take. In his mind, he was secretly surprised that she was able to keep up with him in her three-inch heels.
“Watanabe-kun,” Haruna pointed towards a trail of dark wet spots on the gritty ground lit only by one pathetic streetlamp.
Mayu crouched down with bated breath and dabbed his finger on a spot. Bringing it close to his face, his heart skipped a beat as he saw it was stained with crimson liquid.
“Kojima-san,” his voice was quiet.
“Stay here and inform Maeda-san about our location. I’m going to look for Yuki. Do not follow me until help has arrived.”
“But-”
“Stay here.”
His voice was cold and hard as steel, leaving no room for negotiations.
“I will bring Yuki back whether she’s alive,” he tightened his fist, “or not.”
Without another word, he bolted into the darkness, following the dreaded trail of blood.
“Don’t do anything stupid!” Haruna shouted after the disappearing man but all that answered her was silence.
Loud footsteps echoed in the deserted alley as Mayu ran. His chest felt like it could burst any moment at the speed he was going. Perhaps his wounds would reopen but that was the last thing he could care about as images of a frightened and hurt Yuki flooded his mind. Blackness engulfed him momentarily as he passed through a portion where the light did not reach.
A shriek pierced through the cool air.
“Yuki!” he pumped his legs to go faster. The next streetlamp in the distance showed him that he was nearing a dead end. Muffled screams and cries filled his ears. When he heard a familiar voice choke out his name, he felt his heart die a little. What he saw sent his anger shooting through the roof. There at the dingy corner of the dead end was the hooded figure forcing himself onto Yuki who was pressed down on a heap of black trash bags. Her dress was in disarray and hiked up to her waist, exposing bright bruises on her trashing thighs. Streaks of blood ran down from a cut on her right arm and stained her previously white dress. With a low growl, Mayu hurtled towards the man’s mid-section and sent both of them crashing into a pile of empty cardboard boxes. As the boxes tumbled over their heads, Mayu wrestled him to the gravel ground and threw a punch at his nose, feeling the crunch of bones against his fist. Something glinted in the man’s left hand and Mayu quickly fell back.
“Mayu!” Yuki’s petrified voice called out.
Mayu rolled to a stop and stumbled to his feet, staring intently at the hooded figure who brandished a pointed knife.
“How dare you lay a hand on her!” growled Mayu. To his shock, the mysterious person laughed and the gruff voice sounded vaguely familiar. “Who… are you?”
The man simply laughed again and charged forward, aiming for Mayu’s chest as the doctor dodged backwards with small but quick steps.
“Ugh!” Mayu slipped on a discarded beer bottle and landed hard on his back. The perpetrator was on him in a second, knife raised precariously above his face. It was a battle of strength as Mayu gripped the man’s wrist and pushed it back with all his might.
“Mayu!”
“G-Go… Yuki…” Mayu ordered through clenched teeth. He had a bad feeling that the fight was not going to end well on his end as the knife was almost poking the tip of his nose.
“After I kill you, I’m going to continue my fun with your girl,” the man’s sinister smirk was the only thing visible under the shadows of his hood. “Her screams are music to my ears and she tastes oh-so-sweet.”
“What have you done to her?” Mayu hissed, narrowing his eyes.
“Nothing much,” the smirk grew into a grin. “I merely made her wet.”
Something snapped in Mayu and he released a furious roar as newfound strength burst forth. He swung the man’s hands to the side and flipped their positions. “How dare you!” Raging anger flashed behind his glasses as he wrapped his hands around the man’s neck and squeezed the delicate area. The hood fell back during the intense struggle, revealing the face of the man who harassed Yuki at the beach earlier.
“You!” Mayu recognised the young punk.
Feeling Mayu’s grip loosen in shock, Hiroki seized the chance to headbutt him, propelling Mayu to the ground and taking a slash at his shoulder.
“Argh!” A searing pain tore through Mayu’s body.
“Not so hot now, huh?” Hiroki bore a manic grin as he circled the bleeding shorter man. “I’ve been observing you. You are just a pansy. A gang’s boss, my foot! Where’s your lackey now, huh?”
“You aren’t so great yourself,” Mayu retorted, referring to Hiroki’s bloody nose while sneaking a peek at Yuki who was cowering in the corner with her arms wrapped around her ripped dress. The tear streaks on her flushed cheeks made it a heart-wrenching sight to behold.
“Still trying to act tough? I’ll make you pay for humiliating me!” Hiroki spat. Lunging forward, he smashed his iron-hard fist into Mayu’s jaw, throwing him off balance as flashing lights invaded his vision. Mayu landed next to Yuki on the trash bags. Blinking and shaking his head to clear the dizziness attacking him, he grabbed a small wooden crate and flung it at Hiroki’s face, earning precious seconds to pull Yuki to her feet.
“Let’s go, Yuki!”
Before they could get far, an incensed Hiroki yanked Mayu back by the collar of his shirt and hurled him against the wall, causing the disoriented Mayu to grunt in pain when his forehead collided with the rough concrete. With his back turned to Hiroki, he did not notice the knife plunging down towards him.
“No!” Yuki screamed and threw herself over her boyfriend. Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced herself for the pain and hugged his battered frame in both fear and defensiveness.
I don’t want to die yet but if I could protect you, it’s not such a bad way to go, right?That was the last thought on her mind as the knife struck her exposed back.
BANG!Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as the knife was suddenly strewn into the air when something shot through Hiroki’s left wrist. The young ruffian howled and staggered away from the couple. Someone with short blonde hair rushed forward and bulldozed him to the ground, swiftly pulling both of his arms behind his back and strapping on a pair of handcuffs even as blood poured from the gaping hole in his wrist.
“Got him, Atsuko!” the blonde man yelled to Maeda Atsuko who had her pistol trained on the struggling Hiroki. The female officer nodded in acknowledgement and hurried over to Mayu and Yuki.
Mayu found it hard to breathe as he observed his pale girlfriend who was slumped against him, not moving a single muscle. “Yuki, are you alright?” he asked, fear gripping his rapidly thumping heart. Receiving no response, he leant forward and inspected her back and found a shallow nick in between her shoulder blades. Relief washed over his nerves and he returned his concerned gaze to her stunned face. Without warning, she lunged forward and enveloped him in a crushing embrace.
“M-Mayu… Mayu… Mayu…” she sobbed. Violent trembling rocked her body as hot tears spilled from her eyes to his neck. Ignoring the pain coursing through his system, he wrapped his sore arms around her, trying to allay her fears. Patting the back of her head, he whispered, “Everything’s fine now. I’m here.”
He glanced at Atsuko who was standing by them and sent an appreciative nod in her direction. She simply returned a small smile and informed him that an ambulance was on its way and the group should be making their way out to the main road.
“Move!” the blonde male officer with Atsuko roughly pushed the reluctant Hiroki forward.
“Why aren’t you arresting him?” Hiroki protested. “He tried to strangle me! I was only scaring them! I didn’t do anything!”
Mayu tightened his hold on Yuki protectively as Hiroki was ushered past them. At this moment, Haruna came up to them, holding Yuki’s strappy heel that had dropped at the stairs of the hotel’s back exit.
“Thank you for your help, Kojima-san,” Mayu said sincerely as he took the black footwear from her.
“I didn’t do much,” she smiled. “I’m just glad you two are safe now.”
Crouching down, Mayu helped Yuki put on her heel while Haruna held the shaken nurse steady. As they were about to leave the scene, Mayu stopped Yuki and began unbuttoning his shirt. Slipping it off his shoulders, he wrapped it around her securely.
“Mayu…” she admired his gently smiling face as a familiar sting nagged at the back of her eyes. She noticed the deep gash on his right shoulder was still dripping with fresh blood.
“Don’t worry, my injuries are all superficial. No nerves have been damaged,” he assured and held her hand, relishing the comfort of having her by his side again.
Later, as they sat side by side in the ambulance, Yuki called his name softly.
“Hmm?” he turned to her.
She reached forward and cupped his bruised jaw. A trickle of blood oozed out from the corner of his lips. After requesting for a stack of gauze from the paramedic, she asked her boyfriend to open his mouth. The moment he did so, she stuffed the gauze in to soak up the warm metallic-tasting liquid that had built up from the cut inside.
“This reminds me of the day I confessed to you,” Mayu jested after she removed the bloodied gauze, earning a smile on his angel’s face.
“Thank you for finding me just now,” she began meekly, wringing her hands together. “I thought I was going to… to…”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say it,” Mayu soothed her suddenly trembling hands in his. “But for a while, I really thought he had done that to you from what he said.”
Yuki shook her head, “He didn’t get a chance to because my knight appeared in time.”
He raised an eyebrow at the unheard of description of himself. “The knight who is horrible at fighting, you mean,” he quipped wryly.
“Doesn’t matter,” she brushed aside his fringe that was obstructing his right eye from her view, “because he still saved the princess in the end.”
“So you are calling yourself a princess now?”
“Am I not your princess?”
“Of course you are,” a doting grin stretched across his cut lip. The two lovers then sat in comfortable silence with Yuki leaning her head on his uninjured left shoulder.
“Hey Princess Yuki…”
She peeked at him quizzically.
“I know I have blood in my mouth now but can I kiss you?” he asked, scratching his cheek. She giggled at his adorable random request.
“Anytime, as long as it’s you.”
As the pair shared a loving kiss in the moving vehicle, the paramedics onboard shifted their sights to their supplies and equipment, giving the couple some long overdue privacy. When the ambulance pulled up at the hospital, a thought struck Mayu as he disembarked from the vehicle and he slapped his forehead.
“What’s wrong?” Yuki asked, taken aback by his sudden action.
“You remember the homosexual rapist that Maeda-san told us about?”
She nodded slowly as an ominous feeling loomed over her.
“I think I saw him following Ren-san when you were in the ladies.”
Yuki’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“WHAT?!”
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To be continued…Thank you very much for reading! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated
And of course, Merry Christmas to all my dear readers and everyone else at jphip!! Enjoy the turkey!