Lycaon: The Legend of Yuuki in Russia

Lying, Protection, and Injury

    In the morning, Claudia woke up to the smell of eggs.

    "Mmm, Yuuki-kun, it smells delightful out here," she commented.

     "Miss Heinrich, did you put the extra clothes in the closet?" Yuuki queried.

     "Yes, you can't get by with only a few plain outfits. Plus, I've wanted somebody to splurge on for a long time, so it was really for both of us. Besides, I thought you'd be more comfortable in darker clothes," notified Claudia. Yuuki hugged her.

     "You are a saint. You wonderful woman, you are a saint!" he exclaimed.
Claudia kissed his nose. They sat to eat omelettes when there was a knock on the door.

     "Lily! You little slut! I know you're in there! Get out here!" a loud male voice boomed. Yuuki clutched his knees, burying his face in them. Claudia went to the door.

     "Excuse me, sir. It's very early. I'm very tired. I'm afraid that there's nobody here by that name. Please, leave," she lied, feigning exhaustion.

     "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I guess I was mistaken. Good day," bid the man. Yuuki was crying, so Claudia went to comfort him.

      "Yuuki-kun, what did he do to you? Are you okay?" she investigated.

     "H-he forced me to take three people at a time. One in front, one behind, and one in my mouth. He started whipping me. I screamed, hell I cried, but they didn't stop. It was horrible," sobbed Yuuki.

     Claudia lifted the back of his shirt. Sore, red cuts covered him completely. The cuts all seemed no more than a few days old. Claudia gasped.

     "Yuuki, I'm going to take care of these. It might sting a bit. I'm sorry," she claimed.

     She sprayed the cuts with an antibacterial solution, rubbed anti-burn cream over them, and wrapped a bandage around Yuuki's torso. Every few seconds, he would wince. Once the process ended, Claudia embraced the man.

     "Hush now. He's gone. If he ever comes back, I'll call the police. Nobody is allowed to hurt you now. I promise," she vowed.

     "Thank you," choked Yuuki.

     "Hun, let me make you a doctor's appointment, okay?" declared Claudia.

     Yuuki nodded as he buried his face into her shoulder. She set the check up for the next day, then helped Yuuki to the couch.

     "Baby boy, you take it easy until you're healed up. I can't let you work like this," she urged.

     She brought Yuuki an ice pack and sat in front of him. She hummed "Kugutsue" by The GazettE until she had a better idea. She walked over to her old piano. She took a few deep breaths before she played "People Error."

     "That's amazing, Miss Heinrich!" mused Yuuki.

     "Thank you, Yuuki. I used to play, but I didn't remember why. At least not until today," accepted Claudia.

     "Why is it then?" Yuuki wondered aloud.

     "I play to set the mood for things. Lift people up when they need it, and play sad songs for myself when I need it. It's a joyful thing," explained Claudia. She started playing "My Soul, Your Beats" when Yuuki sat up.

     "Miss Heinrich, do you play the sad songs a lot?" he inspected.

     "Probably once or twice a week. Why?" Claudia answered.

     "I can't imagine you sad. Why are you sad?" Yuuki replied.

     "It's not easy living alone. I suppose you know that. I work and live alone. It's not the happiest thing for me. Besides, I still can't get Russian down to save my life. I still pronounce and spell everything wrong," summarized Claudia. Yuuki walked over to hug her.

     "You aren't alone now. If you're gonna take care of me while I live here, the absolute least I could do is make sure you aren't lonely. Miss Heinrich, how can I help you be happier?" Yuuki insisted.

     "Stay here. Let me spoil you. If there's anything more specific, I'll let you know. Thank you so much," agreed Claudia as her eyes watered. Yuuki brushed her bangs out of her face. Claudia wiped her eyes.

     "I need a minute," she stated. She cried for a few minutes while Yuuki rubbed her back and shoulders.

     "I have to go to work. You can stay here. Do whatever you want. Feel free to lay here all day. You can even watch TV if you want," allowed Claudia. She left; Yuuki sighed.

     "I love you, Miss Heinrich," he said to the empty room. He made himself a sandwich for lunch, then watched TV until he started making dinner. Claudia came in as he placed two plates on the table.

     "Yuuki, you should be laying down. Your back must be killing you," lectured Claudia.

     "I wanted to have a meal ready for you. You had a long day, so I figured this would ease your workload," notified Yuuki.

     "You're perfect," commended Claudia. She kissed Yuuki's cheek as she sat at the table. They ate silently.