Yuzu shivered as a gust of cold air passed through the shattered windows. She cupped her hands around her mouth and blew to keep herself warm as she waited by the door. Even though it has been a few months since she committed herself to her beloved master, she still hadn't gotten around to fixing the windows that were smashed while she was being pursued.
It was the beginning of Winter and Yuzu was starting to feel the effects of the cold weather. Her master was unaffected by the cold and wouldn't have noticed that the temperature was almost below freezing if it weren't for the blonde's constantly chattering teeth and the white clouds that escaped her mouth everytime she exhaled. While wolves and humans typically have the same body temperature, wolves have a thick layer of fur to keep them warm during cold seasons. However, Yuzu lacked this trait when she was in her regular human form, meaning that her health would be affected in the long run if exposed to such conditions for the next few months.
"Get the windows fixed", Mei ordered, "It would be troublesome for me if my only servant were to get sick", she added.
Yuzu couldn't help but smile at the memory. Even though Mei tried to sound as authoritative as usual it was obvious that she was concerned for the blonde's well being. Though, after weeks of trying (and failing) to repair the windows she finally gave up and decided to call her friend, Matsuri, who was a famous doctor and an even more powerful witch. Her thoughts were cut short when a sudden glow followed by the appearance of a hooded figure came out of nowhere.
The werewolf girl squeezed the girl in front of her before pulling back and smiling warmly at her, "Thanks for coming, Matsuri. I knew I could count on you when it came to fixing things".
The short girl pulled her hood back, revealing a pointy hat and an impish grin, "Sure, anything for you Yuzu-chan, though I didn't expect you to end up in this place".
"Huh? What do you mean?"
But instead of answering her the younger girl pulled out what appeared to be a wand from her pocket. Matsuri motioned to the windows with her wand and just like that, the shattered pieces of glass started floating into the window frame. Each individual shard moved into its original place and connected with all the other ones, almost like puzzle pieces.
Just then the vampiress appeared.
"Oh, Master! Look, the windows are fixed", Yuzu chimed happily.
Mei ignored her servant's enthusiasm and glared at the unwanted guest in her mansion, "What are you doing here?", she asked with a sharp edge in her tone.
Matsuri didn't answer and instead engaged in a staring contest with the raven haired beauty. However, the staring contest was interrupted by Yuzu, who stepped in between them in an effort to prevent any physical hostility that may occur. "It's okay, I called her here"
Mei raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"T-to help fix the windows", she answered nervously but did not falter under her gaze.
After she took a moment to think, Mei huffed and started to ascend the stairs, "Leave once you're done".
Yuzu was left confused and speechless for a minute before she snapped out of her daze, "Matsuri, do you have… history with Mei-sama?".
The pink haired girl moved to a different window, repairing it while she answered with a smirk, "You could say that. I stole some of the grimoires from her library... and she thinks that I tried to kill her"
"D-did you?!", Yuzu cried incredulously.
"No. I was merely trying to collect some of her blood as an ingredient for a spell. Not that it matters anymore since I was unsuccessful in acquiring it", she shrugged offhandedly. "Besides, I managed to create a different spell without the use of vampire blood so I won't be needing it anymore".
The girl continued to fix the rest of the windows wordlessly while Yuzu stared off in the direction Mei left, "So if it was all a misunderstanding then why didn't you just explain it to her? I'm sure she'd understand..."
Matsuri sighed as she fixed the last window before replying, "It doesn't really matter… but anyway, the reason I came here was to tell you that you should get out of here as soon as possible"
"Huh?! There's no way I can just leave! Mei-sama saved my life and as a werewolf I must-"
"You must serve and be dedicated to her for the rest of your life… right?", Matsuri cut her off in a monotonous voice. "I know, but I'm warning you now; A vampire and a werewolf cannot stay together", she emphasized her point by giving Yuzu a firm look.
Before Yuzu could reply, the younger girl disappeared in a flash of light, leaving her confused and torn. 'Even if you tell me that, I can't just leave her… not now', Yuzu clutched her chest. The simple thought of the vampire girl always set her heart ablaze. Her heart rate would increase rapidly and her whole face would light up red as a tomato. Yuzu knew that she had a crush on the girl but there was no way she could admit it. Falling for one's master was forbidden and apparently so is living with a vampire. Yuzu sighed, 'But why is it forbidden?'.
The thought of a forbidden love was exciting for Yuzu, especially since she's been dreaming of falling in love with someone her whole life. But, knowing Mei, she was hesitant to proclaim her love as vampires are known to abide by the 'ancient rules'. That meant that even if Yuzu confessed, there was a big chance that Mei would reject her and possibly be no longer wanted as her servant.
After Matsuri left, Yuzu didn't see Mei for the rest of the day until dinner time. The atmosphere between them had become awkward and tense after that one kiss they shared. Neither of them had mentioned it again and now that Matsuri had told her about this 'forbidden love' situation, Yuzu had trouble looking at her master in the eye. Not that it wasn't already hard enough for her to meet her intense gaze. Today, it was harder than usual to talk to the vampire girl as it seemed like she was in a particularly bad mood. Nevertheless, the werewolf girl still tried to fill in the silences by telling stories of how she'd first met Matsuri.
On the other hand, Mei was confused, more than she ever had been her whole life. She'd spent most of her time alone and isolated in her mansion and never put much thought into her romantic life. But after the blonde girl barged into her life, things started happening to her. Strange things, like her chest tightening whenever she spoke to her. When she saw that witch talking to her servant earlier she felt her chest constrict again, but it seemed different from usual. She could not fathom why though, which left her angry and frustrated for the rest of the day. She also didn't understand why Yuzu would be friends with someone like that girl.
"Master? Is the food not to your taste?", Yuzu suddenly asked, almost sounding apologetic. Mei had been grimacing while she was deep in thought.
"No, the food is exquisite. My apologies, it's just that... I haven't been feeling so good lately", the raven haired girl confessed.
Yuzu gasped in horror, "Oh no! You feel sick? Have you caught a cold maybe?"
Mei shook her head, "No, it's not like that. It's…", she paused for a moment trying to think of the words to describe it. "It's like there's something heavy in my chest and it's hard to breathe", she finally answered, squeezing the fabric of her clothes to prove her point.
"Oh… perhaps you have heartburn then?", the blonde was starting to get worried.
Mei sighed in frustration, "No, it's not that either. It's…", she grew silent again as she started to think.
"When and how often do you experience it?", Yuzu asked, hoping it would help Mei describe what she was feeling.
'It happens when…'
"Maybe I should call Matsuri for help"
Throb. There it was again. "No", Mei said simply.
Yuzu seemed to be oblivious to the dark change in tone of the vampire's voice. Either that or she decided to ignore it, "Look, I know you and Matsuri don't get along well but if what you have is serious I can't help you. Matsuri will be able to perform an exam on you and heal you in no time!"
"Stop saying her name", suddenly, the girl was pinned to the table, held down by the vampire. "The pain occurs when you talk about her. Why?"
The blonde, startled at first, snapped out of her daze. Her thoughts escaping her mouth before she could stop them, "Master, could you be… jealous?"
Mei's grip on the werewolf loosened as her eyes widened when realization struck. There's no way right? She will admit that she felt anger and resentment towards the witch, but jealous? There was absolutely no way that a noble vampire such as herself could feel such petty emotions. At least, that's what she thought.
With every second that passed by, everything seemed to make more and more sense. She'd read about things like this before, though she never really had much of an interest in romance novels, she still came across a few sappy romance stories while reading classic literature. Reading about how the girls' heart beat fast in the presence of their love interest. She could relate to those 'sappy romance stories' now more than ever as her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Master, your face is red! Maybe you did catch a cold!", Yuzu started to fuss over her.
Mei turned around, she had years of experience in keeping her external appearance calm and collected. After inhaling and exhaling she turned back to the werewolf girl, her face in its usual look of indifference. She leaned in closer to Yuzu, so close that she could smell the girl's lemony scent and cupped her face with a gentle hand, "I told you to stop calling me that". And with that the vampire left the girl to become flustered by herself, oblivious to the fact that Mei herself had just now learned what it felt like. She was just better at hiding it.
New series! Will be very short though since I still have to finish my other fic! As always, hope you enjoyed!