A Pleasant Pain in the Neck

by Zalvo

A yaoi story by myself and TacticalDark originally posted in yaoinow. Akane Ai X Cyr Macomb. Enjoy

1. Chapter 1

This is a collaboration between myself and TacticalDark on yaoinow. To read it as the original form and see more of my RP's please go to: .?act=Search&CODE=getalluser&mid=26

Disclaimer: I own Akane Ai and Tac owns all of his characters. Please ask if you want to use them in any way, shape or form.

Warnings: Yups it's another yaoi and it's being rated M for probably lots of swearing and shmex scenes =D

Things might make more sense to you guys if you check out the character forms on the site too. If you want to ask any questions or want to RP feel free to PM me.

Comments and reviews appreciated ^___^ Flames will be used to boil my tea =3

A pleasant pain in the neck.

By Ayase Yukiya and Tactical Dark

The warm light of dusk shone through the open door as a slender hand twisted the handle, entering into a darkened shop. Indigo eyes dropped to the paper held in his other hand as he shut the door quietly behind him, nearly cringing when a bright bell rang behind him as the door closed. Nineteen year old Cyrano Macomb glanced at the dirty window in the door.

'Magnuson's Libretti...this is the right place...' the teen thought, looking back down at the paper. He pulled his leather jacket tighter around his frame, hands slipping into the pockets of his black denims. Cyr scanned the shop. Rows and rows of books lined the walls and the centre of the store, all stacked in large shelves. Further down the library, large trunks and tables topped by any assortment of odd things sat forlornly against the wall collecting dust.

The brunet walked deeper into the library, wondering what was required to check a book out from the establishment. Yeve, the woman he was running an errand for, had told him that he already had all he needed to get what she was looking for, that is, a supposedly discontinued book of French folktales, most of which were not recorded elsewhere. Cyr frowned, sighing softly as he realized how daunting his task might be.

He glanced over to the counter, where a young man with wavy hair was standing, his attention elsewhere. Idly, Cyr wondered if the man could be the librarian. Deciding to find out, the boy approached the desk, clearing his throat softly. "Excuse me...?"

Ai was deep in thought. His master and the only other member of the library were gone on an alchemy convention elsewhere. Not that it mattered much he thought to himself; it wasn't as if the library was ever swarming with customers. He sighed lightly; it seemed forever since he had actually talked to somebody other than the other workers or the occasional old geezers who normally occupied the shop.
"Excuse me" a questioning voice snapped Ai out of his reverie.
"Ah my apologies..." Ai started; turning to face the customer. He stopped, shocked for a moment. It was a pleasant surprise to see someone under 100 enter the shop. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere. I hope you weren't waiting long. Now then; what is it I can do for you sir"? Ai questioned the young man in front of him. Ai walked around the counter to stand in front of the other man.

Cyr shook his head, his expression flat. "I wasn't waiting long at all...just got here...I was wondering, sir, if you could help me find a book...er...French Classic Fairietales..." he said, his voice soft and warm, like silk wrapped steel. The teen smiled slightly at the librarian, deciding to be polite. That was...until Cyr caught sight of his eyes.

'...t=those eyes...' he thought, a momentary chill rushing through him. The brunet shuddered, staring immediately down at his boots, scratching sheepishly at the back of his head. Something struck him as odd about the admittedly handsome man in front of him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, refocusing on his task. 'The book, you're here for the book...' he thought, shifting on his feet.

Somewhere, at the back of his mind, Cyr processed vaguely that the man in front of him could prove to be very interesting. Pushing that thought aside, he cleared his throat. "And um...I was instructed to ask what is needed to take out a book from this place..." he murmured, his voice clear and honest. He stood patiently, huddled into his jacket, awaiting the other's response.

Ai noticed the other mans movement when he saw his eyes. He hoped he hadn't scared him and put on a smile hoping to warm the atmosphere. "Ah, let's see now...French classic fairytales, yes I know where that is." He walked to one of the bookshelves at the back of the room, next to his alchemy materials. He supposed he should have cleared them but not many people ever came to the back area of the shop anyway. And those who did normally knew better than to touch his stuff or were quickly taught. Scanning the bookshelf he found what he needed at the top shelf, only slightly straining he managed to pick it up from its place in-between several larger and more dangerous looking books. He blew the dust which had been gathering off of it and started walking back to the other gentleman who was still standing by the counter watching him.
"Well, here it is, a little worse for wear than most of our other books but it's legible at least." He let out a small chuckle and looked over the man once more. "It must be pretty strange getting a book of fairy tales at your age. Ah not that I meant to offend you or anything" He walked back to the counter and handed it over to the man who began to inspect it. Ai leaned on the counter and studied him for a moment. He had to admit that the man was very good looking, he was rather intrigued by his hair and wished he could get a closer look at his eyes which were hidden. "As for taking out the book it's pretty much the same as your normal library. We just take a couple of details from yourself and you're on your way." Ai watched the man look through the book seemingly uninterested and the strangest thought of wanting to get to know him more crossed his mind. He normally wasn't the one to get so interested in someone.
"I'll get the bits of paper you'll need to fill out. It shouldn't take long, but whilst you're waiting would you like a cup of tea? Or coffee?"

Cyr shook his head, looking up from his scan of the text, his eyes glowing dimly in the light from the window above. "No thank you...but thanks for offering..." he said, nodding perfunctorily at the man. The teen paused, noticing that the auburn haired man was staring at him. For some reason, the thought sent his heart pounding.

Cyr took a step away from the counter, cradling the book to his chest, his mind troubled. For some reason, the strange librarian put him on edge, adrenaline creating a pleasant thrill in the boy's system. He recalled the man's previous question, regarding the nature of his search. He decided to answer the question in hopes of taking the man's attention off of him.

"The book...it's for a friend. She wanted to read it...but she couldn't make it here herself...um...may I please have the papers?" he asked, fully unaware of the faint blush that had spread across his pale cheeks.

It seemed he had made the other man uncomfortable. So trying to resolve the situation Ai busied himself collecting the papers he needed. He was slightly disappointed, he wanted to find out more about the gentleman standing there. He had piqued his interest. He didn't come across people like him every day that was for sure. And he had just shot down his theory that polite culture was dead. He tidied together the papers he needed and put them on the counter. "All we really need is your name, age and address, they're really just measures to ensure we get the books back. As I'm sure you can imagine some of our items are rather valuable." He handed the other man a pen and went about tidying away some of the books which had been sitting on the counter. Sighing to himself he couldn't help but think how strange it was that he felt. His heart rate was a lot higher than he should be. He tied to talk sense into himself, telling himself it wasn't normal to like someone when you've only just met them and don't even know their name. But he couldn't help himself. So resigning to the fact that he seemed to be well and truly screwed he tried his best to busy himself in the hopes of distracting himself from the very interesting man who had brightened up his day.

Cyr studied the man's actions as he busied himself. The teen sighed softly, realizing that he was the cause of the man's distress. The brunet's shoulders slumped as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter. He pushed the stack of papers and the book off to one side, smiling apologetically.

"P-pardon...I seem to have made you uncomfortable. I apologize for my attitude Sir. It's just that I feel this place is so...unfamiliar to me...a new territory, if you will...and um..." he didn't want to mention that he'd noticed the man staring, so he tried another line, "it is getting dark outside. I guess you could say I'm a bit scared of walking home, and took it out on you. Please forgive me."

Cyr's smile softened as he focused his eyes on the man. The librarian did seem like a nice person, although perhaps rather eccentric and a bit lonely. Cyr chalked it up to working in a bookstore such as the Libretti. "I'm Cyrano...by the way..." he whispered, shivering slightly.

Ai perked up a bit in reaction to Cyrano starting to talk. He knew he came across a little scary, he just wasn't very good with communicating with people. He looked around the shop, with the dark interiors and dusty atmosphere he wasn't too surprised. Though it was funny, he'd never truly realised it until just today. ""Well, I suppose that does make sense; I'd be wary going into a new territory also. But please be sure, this is a nice enough place honestly, possibly a little drab but other than that..." Ai chuckled. "I just realised you've just told me your name and I haven't introduced myself. My name's Ai, pleased to meet you." Ai shook Cyrano's hand. He checked over the completed papers and nodded. "Well, that's all that we need so you're free to take that book and whatever other book you need now." Ai started thinking to himself, wary of scaring Cyrano away but wanting to get to know him some more he decided to risk it anyway. "If you're concerned about walking home on your own I'd be glad to accompany you. I was just about to close the shop anyway and needed to go out to collect something already so I would be glad for the company also." Just as he finished talking a loud tinkling noise carried across the room and a small black cat bounced over to where Ai was standing. He let out a laugh and scooped the cat up in his arms. "This is Maki, Maki this is Cyrano, say hello." Ai waved Maki's paw at Cyrano. "So..." Ai started hesitantly. "Would you accept my offer?"

"Mmm...huh?" Cyr blinked at the cat, a soft smile on his face. He reached forward, scritching gently behind the feline's ears as he spoke. "I would...appreciate it if you would Ai," he admitted, blushing lightly. It wasn't normally like him to be so skittish about things, much less about walking home. However, he needed to drop the book off at Yeve's before he went back to his apartment. The two buildings were in entirely different districts, one of which was seedier than the other.

The teenager stopped petting the cat, reluctantly giving one last rub of Maki's ears before he pulled his hand back. "Cute cat..." he murmured, picking up the book and cradling it once more to his chest. Outside, he was fully aware that dusk had set and darkness taken over. For some reason, the thought sent an odd thrill of excitement down his spine. '...weird...' he thought, frowning.

Stepping outside of the shop and into the clean crisp air Ai felt invigorated. He did enjoy the shop and being able to go to college like the humans did but sometimes forgot how much he missed going for strolls in the evenings. Everything just seemed so much more enchanting he thought. Like the way the moonlight shone and reflected off of his partners face and made it glow with a magical feel to it. He locked the shop door and started walking with along with Cyrano down the dimly lit pathway. Albeit with a bit more of a spring in his step than the other man.
He watched Cyrano clutch the book to his chest and the mist gather in front of his face from the chill in the air. Then made sure to turn his head away remembering how uncomfortable he had made him feel earlier through staring. He scanned the buildings in front of them, they were walking down a pretty notorious pathway. Well known for murders and robberies amongst many other grizzly things. He positioned himself slightly closer to Cyrano, close enough to be able to protect him should anything happen but not so close as to scare him again.
Ai looked up at the stars momentarily, pondering what he had learned about the other man. He likes animals it seems.. I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
Cyrano seemed to be lost in thought, his eyes carrying a glazed over look to them. Ai cleared his throat and asked where they were going.

Cyr jumped, he hadn't realized the man had been speaking. "O-oh...um...if it's not too much trouble, I need to drop this book off at Yeve's house. Uh, you only have to take me there if you'd like, I can make my way home from there," he said, indigo eyes shifting to the other male. True, he could, but he'd rather avoid walking alone if he could. His was the apartment located in the heart of the bad part of town.

He blushed slightly when the man scooted closer to him. Cyr was no weakling, he was an assassin, but he would admit that with the people around his neighbourhood, and him without his knife, he'd rather avoid conflict if at all possible. As such, he was grateful that the man had moved closer to him. He cleared his throat, his breath coming in puffs of warm air in front of his face.

"So...how long has the shop been around?" he asked curiously. He'd been in the district numerous times on 'jobs' but never before had he noticed it. True, it was tucked into a smaller part of the district, but it should have been obvious to someone walking by it. The thought that he'd not noticed it before disturbed the teen more than he liked to admit. '...it's just one of those strange places...'

"No, no I insist you let me walk you the entire way. I already said I would, it would be considerably rude of me to reneg my word now wouldn't it"? Ai gave Cyrano a friendly smile. Though he worried it may have came out slightly more feral than he would have liked. His master's amulet protected him from the sun and dulled his vampiric instincts but the night still had an impact on him. He knew that his eyes seemed sharper and the point in his ears were considerably more noticeable. As were his fangs.

The two walked together down the path a bit more; Ai wondered what sort of person Cyrano was. He seemed like he'd be able to hold his own in a fight. "Let's see now." Ai started, realising he hadn't answered Cyrano's other question. "Well, I've been working there for 46years now. I do believe the shop has been open for 105 years. It's a small family shop. It seems rather insignificant but it's got a great reputation and we have loads of items and books you won't find in the larger places. My master, Rei Magnus, I owe him a lot. Like I said, it's a family shop and even still he let me work for him. Realistically I probably owe him my life." He chuckled to himself and rubbed the back of his head. "Not many people notice it though, unless they're specifically looking for it. We don't know why either. Possibly it's just the shops charm or the first Magnus may have put some sort of ward on it."

Ai stopped for a moment and looked at Cyrano, he had thought he'd heard something but decided it must have been a stray. "So, I've told you about myself but I don't know much about you Cyrano. Not that I'm pushing or anything but I'm intrigued, it's not every day someone as interesting as you comes to the shop"

Cyr frowned as he took in the other man's words. '...forty-six years...but he doesn't look a day over twenty-three, twenty-four at max...' he thought, staring again at his companion. The man's appearance seemed different, more feral. The thought drove a small shudder down Cyr's spine, though whether it was of fear or anticipation the teen couldn't tell.

His attention snapped immediately to a noise ahead of them, indigo eyes peering into the darkness of the alley the sound had come from. The neighbourhood they were still in didn't seem like that bad of a place, but still, it was better to be careful than to be caught unaware. He quirked an eyebrow, deciding to overlook the noise for now as it was probably an animal or something of little significance. Cyrano hoped he was right in that assumption. He did know self-defence and could easily take someone on using it, he was a competent fighter, but he'd really have preferred having his knife with him.

He shook himself from his thoughts, smiling at Ai. "Thank you for thinking I'm interesting, though I'm sure once you hear about me you'll probably change your mind," he said, grinning jokingly. "My name is Cyrano Macomb. I graduated college early, two years ago," a lie, he'd never been to school one day in his life, but then, Ai didn't need to know that. "I work as a runner for a company owned and operated by the woman I was sent to retrieve the book for. It's a good job and it pays well. I like animals, and I volunteer part time at the local shelter."

Cyr wondered, though, exactly why it was that he was opening up to the attractive librarian. Usually he opened up to no one, except, of course, to Yeve and her son, Alexis. He discounted his odd behaviour as being brought about by relief at having someone to walk with.

"Hmm" Ai got the feeling Cyrano wasn't telling him the complete truth but was glad he was talking to him at all and didn't dare pursue the subject. "At a shelter huh? It must be nice to work amidst all those animals. I'm quite fond of animals but I can't quite say they're too fond of me. Maki is an exception."

Ai stopped again. He was now sure there was someone following them. It was quite strange, they had proceeded throughout the dangerous precinct and the area they were in now was quite calm. Though he'd have no problems dealing with anyone stupid enough to try to attack him he was enjoying his time taking to Cyrano and would prefer not to have the evening ruined by some fool. So he carried on walking hoping he hadn't aroused any suspicion in Cyrano and that they would arrive where they were going before whoever it was made a move. Then he'd take care of whoever it was. Hoping to make his previous action look more normal; Ai pulled out an old literature from his pocket and began to read it. He deeply enjoyed reading books. Truthfully he had already completed the book many times and was hoping the dog-eared pages wouldn't speak of it too much.

He'd read through every book in the library so far, there wasn't much else to do all day in the dusty shop. He was reminded of just how nice it was to interact with another person.

Cyr turned his attention to Ai's actions. He found it odd that the man would pull a book out to read, while walking, at night. '...not to mention it's pretty dark right now...I know I wouldn't be able to read if I were trying to,' he thought, his suspicion aroused at the librarian's movements. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The assassin never discounted that feeling, it meant that they were being followed.

'Wonder if he picked up on it too,' he thought, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He kept his pace steady. His new plan was to get to Yeve's house, make an excuse for staying the night, and insure that Ai was invited in for a cup of tea or coffee, while he'd slip outside, from his spare bedroom, and handle the interloper.

"So...animals have trouble around you?" he asked, his voice soft. He figured that conversation, and continuing it, would seem more natural than a sudden lapse in speech, which would likely draw attention from their tag along...that, and he found it pleasant talking to the odd, handsome man. "You seem like the type of person they'd normally get along with," he added, thinking of how nice and kind Ai seemed.

"Heh, you think so? Well it's just they don't really like..." He stopped abruptly, he'd almost let it slip. Even though he knew people were more accepting of vampires these days he also knew that there was still a lot of awkward communications between people and vampires. And vampires were becoming less and less due to the gap, so he was worried it may startle Cyrano. "They don't like my aftershave" He mentally kicked himself for coming up with something so stupid but being around Cyrano seemed to make him slightly more wary of what he was saying. Normally he didn't really care and was quite sharp with his words.

He became aware that the stalker was dropping back slightly and noticed they were coming up to a reasonable sized apartment. Cyrano seemed slightly distracted and Ai wondered if he had noticed the stalker too and started thinking of ways he could dispose of him before Cyrano noticed. He put his book back in his pocket and let out a yawn. He stretched his muscles. He'd forgotten how little exercise his poor body got in the shop.

Cyr chuckled at the man's words, nodding his head. "I know how that is...they won't come near me either if I'm wearing a certain scent," he said, smirking softly at Ai. Cyr was starting to piece together hints and clues as to the man's nature, his attention drawn to Ai's arms as the man stretched, noting, interestingly enough, that Ai's ears were prevalently pointed. '...a vampire...that explains it...' he thought, his smirk unwavering.

Cyr had no problems with vampires, as long as they left Yeve and her son well enough alone. He didn't think that Ai would cause any problems though. He noted with relief that they were nearing the brightly lit apartment, and looked forward to disposing of the tag-along shortly thereafter. Cyr wanted to know who the man was and why he was following them. Depending on what he heard he might, might being the key word, decide to be lenient.

The teen dug into his pocket, pulling out a small, old fashioned key. He jogged up the steps, turning to face Ai as he slipped the key into the lock, feeling the tumblers unlatch as he turned the key. He opened the door, nodding into the warm interior space. "Would you like to come in for a while? I need to give Yeve the book, and er...." he trailed off, grinning sheepishly, hoping that the man would assume he meant relieve himself.

Ai was relieved at Cyrano's response. For a moment he thought he had well and truly blown it. He watched him dig out a rather rustic looking key and jog up the steps.
"If you're sure I won't be imposing upon you or your company I'd be pleased to accompany you." Ai figured from the look on Cyrano's face and his trailing off that he would have a moment to have a word with whomever it was who was still lurking in the shadow. He was slightly on edge. It wasn't that he was concerned about the individual, or as if he had never dealt with them before. When transporting some goods from the shop he often came across many of them. What bothered him was what they could possibly be after. After all it was just a folktale book, there wasn't anything particularly fascinating about that. Or at least Ai didn't think so. Whatever they wanted, he'd find out sure enough. Ai let out a grin and followed Cyrano up the steps.

Cyr shook his head, "It's no trouble I'm sure. Yeve and her son like company...though I recommend that you just smile and nod if Alexis starts talking to you...he has a tendency to ramble. And you simply must have a cup of tea before you leave, Yeve makes it from scratch with things from her garden." Those facts were both true, but the intent behind Cyr's invitation was not. What he was really trying to do was to stall the vampire while he investigated the stalker.

The teen ushered the vampire into the warm, well-lit house, locking the door firmly behind him. He slid the deadbolt closed as well, indigo eyes peering out the window. Whoever it was, it looked like they were smart enough not to follow too closely to the house. Cyr walked across the wooden floor after wiping his feet on the entry rug, the book still held against his chest.

"Yeve, Alexis? It's Cyr...I'm home, and I've brought a friend," he called out, hearing an answering response from the kitchen. Nodding to Ai, he led the auburn haired man into a small, cream colored kitchen where an older woman, perhaps in her early sixties, sat, sipping tea at a table.

"Ah, Cyrano, Alexis is out with his boyfriend at the moment...I swear, you and that boy keep missing one another..." the woman said, her voice bright and cheery as Cyrano set the book on the table in front of her. She smiled graciously, turning from the brunet to the newcomer, holding out a small, thin hand to the man. "You must be the friend Cyrano just mentioned. I am Yevette Castiliana, and I welcome you into my home Mr...?"

Meanwhile, Cyr glanced out the large kitchen window, noticing nothing outside, in the alley between the houses. He cleared his throat, "I'll um...be right back...please excuse me." That said, the teen smiled apologetically, leaving the room to return to the entry hall, walking quickly up the stairs to the room where his vest and his knife lay. He would sneak out via the large tree outside the window, find the tag-along, and figure out why whoever it was was following.

Ai entered the house and noticed at once the warmly lit and welcoming atmosphere. It was quite different to the shop, and his room in particular. Cyrano called out a greeting to who he assumed he'd been speaking of earlier and allowed himself to be led into another room which he could only assume was the kitchen.

"It's Akane Ai, thank you for having me this evening I do hope I'm not intruding." Ai smiled at the woman. She seemed a pleasant motherly type. Whilst introducing himself to Yevette he wondered what to do. He judged by the fact that since he had locked the door even though he had previously said he would simply be finishing an errand here and the way he had disappeared so suddenly meant he was aware of the stranger outside. Ai wanted to learn why the stranger had been following them but there wasn't really any way to do it without being rude or raising suspicion upon his hosts. He decided he'd ask his master if there was anything suspicious about the book when he returned. Until then he hoped Cyrano would be alright dealing with whoever it was. Though he was sure he'd be fine.

Ai turned his attention to Yevette. "Cyrano tells me you make a very good cup of tea ma'am. Since I'm imposing on you this evening is there anything I could possibly do to help you"?

Yeve fixed Ai with a clear blue stare, her eyes bright and pleasant. She smiled knowingly. "Would you rather have your tea after you do whatever it is you desire to do?" she asked, her French accent thick. "Your attitude speaks of the desire to be polite, yet you wish to do something else first. Cyrano is a good boy, but a little socially frigid...he could use your help..." the woman said, standing from her seat.

The Frenchwoman walked over to the stove, fetching an old looking tea kettle from the cook top and making her way to the sink. "Well...go on, I'll make the tea while you keep your secrets."

Meanwhile, while the conversation was occurring in the kitchen, Cyr had finished pulling on his Kevlar vest, strapping his knife in its sheath as he opened the window. The teen slid out of the opened window, grabbing hold of a thick tree branch above his head. The brunet dropped the fifteen feet into a crouch, his eyes adjusting rapidly to the darkness.

The assassin made his way along the side of the house, back to the street, unaware that Yeve was trying to convince the vampire to pursue the stalker as well. What annoyed the teen about the entire situation was that the stalker had followed to the block, and knew which house the woman lived in. '...which means whoever it is is a threat to Yeve and Alexis...' he decided, his face grim as his boots clicked firmly on the pavement. '...now to find my target...'

Ai was rather surprised by the woman. Not many people looked him straight in the eyes let alone could read into him like that. He bowed to Yevette and thanked her. "I apologise if I've caused you any trouble ma'am, also I'll have to unlock your door; I think it would be best should you relock it once I leave" Ai unbarred the door and unwilling to dither too long picked the lock instead of asking for it to be unlocked. He quickly jogged down the steps and back into the street. He surveyed the area and spotted the stranger hiding in an alleyway around 7 houses away, partially hidden by a dumpster obscuring the view. Ai sprinted himself over and slammed the stranger against the wall, hands wrapped around his throat. Ai's eyes glowed menacingly. "Who are you and what do you want"? He growled. Just then he heard something above them.

Yeve shook her head, smiling at the vampire. "It is no trouble at all. You needn't worry about me, I assure you, and I will make your tea while you are gone. I hope you don't mind rose hips," she laughed softly, watching the auburn haired man leave through the door. The woman followed after, locking the door firmly. In amusement, she turned and rested against the door, a smile on her face.

"Cyrano, I hope you know what you're in for," she said, her voice bright and cheery as she made her way back into the kitchen. There was tea to make and a book to read.

Cyr paused, staring at the vampire. 'The hell?!' he wondered, frowning as the man moved past him, towards an alleyway. Cyr moved from his spot, following after Ai, his hand falling to his knife, sliding it out of its sheath. The teen handled the weapon deftly, comfortable with its heft.

The purple eyed assassin jogged towards the alley, ready to confront the stranger, and the vampire if need be and entered in time to see another figure jumping from the roof of a house towards Ai. "Watch it!" Cyr yelled, slamming shoulder first into Ai and the stranger, knocking them to the side as the newcomer landed in the alley.

Cyr straightened immediately, his knife held in front of him. Admittedly, his night vision was poor, but he could see the figure, could read its movements. He'd be fine. '...I hope...'

Ai straightened himself off of the floor and pushed the man off of him. Ai looked up at Cyr, looking slightly worried yet slightly peeved at the same time. He stood up and dusted himself off. He looked at Cyr, his eyes staring into his own. "Thank you, I can't believe I didn't notice him earlier". Ai started laughing gently and scratching his head. Cyr didn't seem very happy and Ai decided the best thing to do was to come clean. "I'm really sorry Cyr, I was just worried about you and wanted to know what this guy was after. I should have told you earlier but I was worried you see I'm a..."

"A vampire. I know, now focus on your damn job..." Cyr said, his attention not wavering from his target. "Just find out what he wants, I'll handle this guy," he hissed, twirling his knife in his hand, his free hand up in a guard position.

The shadowy figure pounced at the teen, causing him to slide backwards. The assassin lashed out with his knife, snarling as he missed the figure entirely. Whatever it was it wasn't human, he was sure of that. It seemed that it must have been following the person Ai held in his grasp. '...so whatever it is they travel in pairs...meaning this guy's just as bad as the stalker...' he decided, his eyes following the creature's movement along the wall of the brick apartment building.

Cyr dodged backwards again as the creature returned for another sweep, a sharp claw grazing across his cheek drawing a line of blood. Unperturbed, Cyr readied himself, waiting until the shadows bunched up for another attack. This time he was ready. He braced his foot against the wall, flipping off of it as the creature dove, his knife flashing as it cut into flesh, eliciting a violent hiss from whatever it was.

He landed, refocusing. He hoped that Ai was faring as well as he was.

The stalker got back up from the heap Ai had thrown him in and lunged at Ai, a glint of silver shone in the moonlight as Ai spotted the small dagger the stalker was attempting to stab through his ribcage. Ai grabbed the attackers' wrist, twisting it until the knife dropped with a clang on the floor. The stalker then managing to free himself from Ai's grasp attempted to attack him in close combat until Ai brought his hand up to the stalkers face leaving three deep gashes in his face where his nails had connected. He connected a blow to the stalkers stomach, possibly a little harder than he had meant to as a pool of blood formed in a puddle on the floor from where it had been forced through his throat. Ai then once more cornered the man against the wall, hands around his neck but this time he dug his fingernails in just near enough the man's jugular to give him a pretty good idea of what would happen if he was stupid and made any attempt of escape before Ai got the information he wanted to know.

"Now I'll ask you again; Ai asked with a feral grin on his face and his words coming out in snarls. Who the hell are you and what do you want"!?

Cyr ignored the commotion behind him, knowing that the vampire could handle it. He ducked under a swiping claw, his knife flashing as he raked it across the creature's chest. The monster fled to the top of the apartment building, likely on the run. Snarling, the assassin gave chase, dashing out of the alleyway, his glare fixed on the creature.

'Damned creatures...whatever the hell they are this one isn't getting away...' he thought decisively, his boots pounding the asphalt as he tailed the beast. From the way it had acted, Cyr assumed it was either a vampiric creature of sorts, and not the good kind like Ai, or something else entirely. "...whatever it is, it can still die..." he hissed, his face set into a deep frown.

Ai heard both figures behind him take to the roofs. He wanted to sort the commotion out as soon as possible and focused all of his attention on the stranger in front of him. Still keeping a firm grip on his neck he roughly pulled down the hood covering his face. Ai was shocked, he'd seen a lot of different things and species in his time but nobody like who was before him now. He seemed human though it was clear he wasn't. He had a slightly blurry appearance, like watching your reflection in the water ripples.

Cyr skidded to a halt as the creature jumped to the ground in front of him. He recoiled at the appearance of the outsider's visage. The thing's nose was missing, all that was left were two hollow holes where his nostrils would have been. Its forehead was flat and wide, with heavy ridges in place of eyebrows. Red and yellow eyes stared at him in pure, unaltered malice, perhaps with a hint of lust. Large fangs gnashed in the air in front of the teenager. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen in his life, and the moment of dread he felt when he saw it up close was all the time the creature needed to act.

"W-what the hell is this...?" he wondered, taking a step back as the creature dashed forward, grabbing his wrist. The assassin clutched at the clawed hand, trying to remove the grasp from his arm as he was lifted off of the pavement, his feet dangling roughly a foot above the ground. Cyr kicked out at the creature, his steel toes boots making contact with the monster's leather clad crotch. It didn't even flinch as it casually tossed the human backwards.

The brunet tucked his chin to his chest, his elbows squeezing against his sides and shoulders hunched as he slid across the asphalt down the street. He found himself back at the mouth of the alley, scrambling to stand. 'The heck?!' he wondered, staring after the creature as it took off in the opposite direction, taking long, loping slides.

The assassin checked himself for injuries. Besides the bruising on his wrist, and the cut on his face from the creature's claws, Cyr found that his trip across the pavement had torn through his shirtsleeves, leaving trails of blood in its wake.

A pool of blood ran down the pavement, a gaping wound through the strange creatures' chest. Unfortunately Ai had failed to bleed any information from him. He just stood there laughing despite the position he was in. Ai had lost his temper, not something that he did very often though he was slightly concerned what sort of creature Cyr was currently dealing with. He threw the corpse to one side and walked out of the alleyway to find where Cyr was and hope had gotten more information than he had. Walking along the road the first thing he noticed was the smell of blood wafting through the air. But not that of the creature he had just disposed of. Examining the area, he spotted Cyr a bit farther down the road, his clothes torn and bleeding. He knelt next to him and wiped away the blood on Cyrs face. "Are you okay"? Ai asked, genuine concern reflected in his eyes. Regardless the complaints he was sure the other would make known, he slung Cyr's arm over his shoulder and started his way back to Yevettes home.

Cyr glared flatly at the vampire, pulling away from the man, cradling his bleeding arm to his chest. "I'm fine...I don't need your help." he said, looking down at the ground. He was cursing his being caught off guard, cursing his inability to fight the creature. He'd frozen in shock and terror...and that had cost him.

"The one I was after got away...it's still out there," he explained, making his way up the street towards Yeve's brightly lit house. Pain did not hinder him as he walked, one of the advantages of being resistant to the sensation. What did pain the teen, however, was the thought that whatever it was knew where Yeve lived. That put the old woman and her son at risk...and brought a rush of terror to Cyr's heart.

"What about you...did you have any luck?" he asked quietly, sparing a glance at the auburn haired vampire, a chiselled brown eyebrow arched in inquiry.

"No". Ai shook his head glumly. "Like trying to get blood from a rock. Didn't find a thing." They walked back up the stairs of the brightly lit apartment. Ai looked at Cyr, deep in troubled thought from the look on his face. Ai wondered to himself, Cyr seemed to care about Yeve and her son deeply and figured he must be concerned for their welfare. Maybe he could come up with a charm for their apartment, yes that seemed a good plan. He'd start on it as soon as he got back to the shop. "Cyr" he started. "About Yeve and her son; I've an idea..."

Cyr paused, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to stare up at the vampire. "...an idea?" he asked, his expression becoming more placid. The teen's indigo gaze fell to the steps, his cheeks paler than normal as he thought. True, the vampire was involved in the situation now that he'd fought and killed the other creature...but there was no reason for him to remain so...and yet Ai seemed concerned for the woman and her son...

The assassin trudged slowly up the steps, nearly stumbling as he reached the top, pinning Ai with another calm gaze as he rang the doorbell. "...you'll have to tell me your idea with Yeve listening. It's her life, not mine," he said as he leaned against the door frame, careful not to get blood on the grey bricks.

Yeve, meanwhile, had poured three cups of tea, smiling as she was right on time for the two fighter's arrival. The woman made her way to the door, opening it, her short grey hair creating a soft halo in the backlighting of the hallway. "Don't just stand around, come in, come in...We have to talk about things, yes?" she said, ushering the two into the hallway.

Cyr took one last glance outside, into the street, sharp eyes falling to the dark corners and alleys, and to the rooftops, a brief frown of discontent falling over his lips.

The three of them sat at the small wooden table. Ai took a sip of the tea, Cyr was telling the truth about the woman's tea he thought. He listened as Cyr explained briefly to Yeve what had happened, although it seemed that Yeve already knew what had happened. It had been a strange day today, Ai didn't normally get concerned for people so easily but something about Cyr and Yeve had truly intrigued him. Not remembering his own parents and unaware of what a motherly touch was he wanted to ensure that Yeve stayed safe and well. She seemed very caring of Cyr and seemed to know a lot of information most people wouldn't even know they didn't know. Putting his cup down gently on the table Ai explained to Cyr and Yeve that it would be possible for him to create a charm that would ward off anyone with dark or malicious intentions. "It works on everything I have come across in my lifetime so far, the only concern I have is that I don't know what those strange creatures were". He looked at the table worriedly, "But if it could help even the slightest I'd be happy to make it." He looked at Cyr frowning slightly. He figured he wouldn't be happy to take help so easily, apparently the sort who liked to resolve problems on his own. "Please think of it as a gesture of appreciation for your hospitality...Also, since we don't know what those creatures were after for all we know it could have been my fault. My master comes back tomorrow evening, I shall ask him if he knows anything of the creatures."

Cyr trained his gaze on the vampire, his face set into a frown of thought. He continued to hold the wet rag Yeve had provided him with to his open wound, sighing as he mulled over the vampire's proposal. It made sense, of course, to have the ward placed over the house. It would alleviate his worries about Yeve and Alexis. Cyr closed his eyes, waiting for the woman's response.

"Ah, mon petite," the woman soothed, reaching out to cup Ai's cheek with a hand. "You need not worry about my son and I. We will both be safe. I ask though, that you protect this," she said, tapping the cover of the book with a thin finger, "and Cyrano, as he has probably incurred the wrath of the creatures as well. I cannot tell you about the contents of the book, your master will have to. I do, however, know that dark forces are at work, looking for the book. Essentially, I acted my part and removed it from easy access."

Cyr's eyes shot open, his brows rose incredulously at the woman as she spoke. "Y-Yeve...what the hell?!" he asked, sliding his chair back and standing up. "I don't need protecting. I'm not weak...and if those things show up, I will be able to=" the teen stopped, silenced by a blue eyed glance from the woman. He sighed, reaching out and grabbing the book. "...now what?" he asked, a note of irritation in his voice.

"Now Ai accepts my offer and the two of you leave for his place of residence...Ai, I must ask you not to allow Cyrano or the book out of your sight. As such, Cyr will be willing to repay you for your protection with both food and companionship," Yeve said cheerily, smiling as Cyr pinned her with another exasperated look. "Now please, finish your tea mon cheres..."

Ai looked between Yeve and Cyr. If it had not been such a serious situation he could of almost laughed at the look on Cyr's face. Though he was glad he would be able to spend more time with him he felt rather bad for Cyr that he would be leaving the brightly lit apartment for the dusty library. Even if only for a while. Ai bowed his head at the woman and agreed to what she said. Finishing his tea he thanked her and gestured at Cyr he was ready to go.

Cyr shot one last desperate look towards Yeve, begging her silently not to make him leave. The woman hadn't even left him the opportunity to fetch his clothes. All he had were his combat clothes, not to mention he didn't like the final clause of her statement. '...feeding and companionship..since when does that...that lady...have the right to sell me off to someone as an all-you-can eat buffet?!' he thought, irate.

Yeve waved pleasantly at the two, smiling softly as they made their way out the main door, locking it behind the duo. Everything would go as planned, she had a feeling. At least then Cyr and the vampire wouldn't be so lonely...and her book would be safe.

As the door shut behind him Cyr put on the stops, the book clutched to his chest as he glared flatly at Ai. "...I am not going with you..." he whispered, a blush of shame on his cheeks. Yes, he was being childish, and yes, he was going against orders...but the situation had left him feeling lost. "You'll have to force me to come with you..." he reiterated, his expression cool.

Ai stopped and looked at Cyr. He gave an exasperated look, he did not want to injure Cyr or force him to something he did not want to do but he also never backed out of his word. Ai stepped up the step looking Cyr directly in the eyes hoping he would change his mind but Cyr stood there adamant. The defiant expression stuck on his face. Ai sighed heavily and apologised. Before giving Cyr any time to react he grabbed the pressure point on his neck and caught him. Taking the book from his hands and placing it securely in his pocket he lifted Cyr upon his back and made his way back to the store. Listening to Cyr's gentle breathing behind him and watching the mist rise in front of his face. It wouldn't be long until daybreak and his master would come back that evening. Until then he would do his best to keep Cyr content at least. He didn't figure he would be able to keep him happy with the situation hanging over both of their heads. He'd spend the day helping Cyr getting adjusted, they should probably get Cyr some clothes, he realised that Cyr hadn't been able to retrieve any of his possessions. He said he lived separately from Yeve, he would keep the shop closed and go and retrieve Cyr's belongings. Then in the evening he could find out what was going on.

Indigo eyes fluttered open as the assassin placed a hand to his head. "...the fuck?" he asked, his voice hoarse. He seemed to be on a bed of some sort in a room he didn't recognize. He sat up quickly, his eyes widening as he looked to his surroundings. A familiar, tight feeling around his arm and chest caused him to look down. Bandages were wrapped securely around his body. His hand moved to his cheek, finding a band aid in the place where he'd been cut.

He sincerely hoped it was only his shirt that was missing as he slid out from the bed, scanning the room for his vest, and his knife. '...damnit, what the hell?' he thought, unable to find his weapon. It was then that he remembered what had happened. There had been a fight the day before, Yeve had practically sold him off to the damned vampire, he'd refused to go with the man and had been knocked out. Obviously, this must be where the vampire lived...and the thought did nothing to comfort the teenager...especially not considering that his pants were in fact missing as well.

He made his way out of the room, looking for Ai, an angry scowl on his face. He wasn't angry...no...he was far beyond being angry. At this moment, as he made his way out of the room, clutching the sheet to him, his hair sleep rumpled and eyes blurry from the post-knock out daze. He found Ai sitting at the counter of the library and settled for perching in the doorway, glaring heatedly at the other man. "..."

Ai looked to the doorway and saw Cyrano standing there. Completely naked with a deep scowl set on his face. It was a good thing he hadn't opened the shop today otherwise one of the old codgers might of had a heart attack. He let laugh slip at the thought. "I did set out some clothes for you, you know. You could stay that way if you like but I don't think it would be comfortable walking out in the nude". Ai closed the book he had been reading and slipped down from the counter. "I thought we could go and collect your things from your house and then if you felt like it go for something to eat. That is, unless you want to be stuck in my clothes during your stay."

"I'd rather not be stuck here at all...I want my clothes back and then I'm leaving," the teen said, holding the sheet tighter around his waist. Cyr had the decency to blush and look away as the vampire's eyes scanned his form. He was decidedly uncomfortable, very exposed, and he hated it. He hated feeling dependent on another person, especially a near stranger, and he hated that Yeve had given him very little control over his situation.

The teen stared at the books rather than looking at his host, his face set into a deep scowl. He had spoken the truth. He wanted his clothes back and he wanted out. He didn't think he could stand to be stuck in a library, off the field, and away from Alexis and Yeve. A sudden rush of fury made his heart speed up. The damned vampire, the equally damned book, and the thrice damned Frenchwoman had somehow managed to ruin his seemingly pleasant life. And he hated the man for it. Were the vampire to refuse to let him leave Cyr would do his best to make his stay with Ai extremely unpleasant for the man, he was sure of it.

Ai sighed 'Cyr certainly wasn't making things easy for him'. "I'm sorry...but, I'm not letting you go" Ai said shooting Cyr a cold glare for the first time since their encounter. "I made my word and I'm sticking to it...If you're going to continue to make it hard for me then..." He pointed a slender finger towards a small bracelet on Cyr's wrist. "If you do, that bracelet will immobilize you."

Cyr paused, staring down at the bracelet, his eyes hardening as he glared up at Ai. "What the hell?! What the bloody fucking hell?!" he seethed, holding up his wrist. "Not only did you invade my privacy, now you're also my jail keeper? No. This isn't going to fly. I don't care if you made a promise, you don't have to keep it. I'm not weak, and I don't need protecting. What I need is this thing off of my, my clothes, my knife, and the book...and then I'll get out of your life."

The teen closed his eyes, his fist clenching by his side as he held the towel still, waiting for the vampire's response.

Ai's eye twitched. Despite the concern he felt for Cyr and the sympathy he felt for him at being thrust into this strange situation he couldn't help himself. He wasn't used to people fighting with him when he was polite and ended up losing his temper. All he was trying to do was as he had been instructed and now he was getting yelled at. Hands trembling he flung the book he was still holding into one of the many bookshelves and sent it flying. With an almighty crash it landed on the floor; bits of paper flying everywhere. "Well for the first thing your bloody welcome for having me clean up your wounds! Your clothes were torn to shreds so I spent the evening fixing them for you!" He angrily gestured to Cyr's clothes, sitting neatly folded on a chair by the door. "As for your knife...Here" He threw the said weapon to Cyr "I strengthened it for you, it looked pretty worn out." Ai's tone had now gentled, he was fed up at shouting; the anger dissipated. "As for the bracelet and the book... I'll take the bracelet off of you once we've spoken to my master...But I'm keeping the book." He kept his gaze on Cyr; "Don't forget, you're not the only one involved in this mess you know." Ai walked into the kitchen refusing to stand in the heavy atmosphere any longer. He set about making a meal for himself and Cyr regardless. He heard a mewl and Maki came down the stairs, looking questionably at Cyr until coming into the Kitchen and walking to his bowl indicating that he wanted to eat.

Cyr stared after the man. He blushed in shame, realizing that he may have gone too far. The assassin quickly pulled on his boxers and pants, folding the sheet and setting it neatly by the shirt and vest.'...really shouldn't have taken my bad attitude out on him...' he thought, sighing as he walked into the kitchen, setting his knife on the counter. While he was still riled about having his life changed around without his permission, he still had enough decency to admit when he was in the wrong.

'Can't believe I'm fucking doing this...' he thought, walking up to the angered vampire, his arms wrapping around Ai's shoulders from behind, forehead pressed against the man's back. It was really the only way Cyr knew how to thank people, and to apologize, as Alexis did it quite often. "...sorry for being an ass..." he mumbled sullenly. Ai was right, he wasn't the only one involved in the situation, though he still saw no need for the auburn haired male to remain involved. The assassin pulled away, staring blankly at the cat as he didn't want to look at the man.

Still...though he had apologized...Cyr felt stung at the turn his life had taken. He didn't like feeling trapped in a situation like this, where he had nothing to do but associate with someone new to him. '...at least he hasn't tried something stupid like taking Yeve up on her offer...yet...' he thought, gaining mild satisfaction as he did so.

Ai startled at the sensation of Cyr hugging him. He was rather shocked at the apology, in all truthfulness he supposed he should have waited until Cyr had woken. But he was worried about him and already knew Cyr would protest so had gone and done so regardless. "I'm sorry too. I know you don't like the situation but I'll do anything at all to make it more comfortable for you. If you want to just stay here I understand. When my master gets here we'll find out what we can; and if he thinks it's safe for you to go back home. If it is, I'm sure he'll find a way to convince Yevette. He truly is a great man it couldn't be that hard to protect a book right? After all; we've had it all this time" Ai placed a couple of bowls of rice on the table. He was running out of stuff to cook with and in last night's excitement had forgotten to get his shopping.

Cyr didn't bother responding, still trying to calm down. The teen sat placidly on one of the chairs, nodding slightly as Ai set a bowl in front of him. He wasn't all that hungry, so he decided to sit back and get to know his host a bit better. The assassin was horrible at making conversation and he knew it, so he tried the first thing he could think of. "...what do you think might be the deal with the book?" he asked, his voice quiet and uncertain.

"In all honesty; I don't have a clue. I always just thought it was a harmless folk tale book." Ai chewed on a mouthful of rice. "I'm sure we'll find out more later on." It rather irritated Ai, he prided himself on knowing all the books in the library and being quite knowledgeable. He started thinking of ways he could help Cyr settle in. Unfortunately, he wasn't too great at communicating with others himself. Albeit, it seemed easier around Cyr but he was well aware he was in a difficult state of mind currently and could easily upset him. "You like knives then?" Ai tried to start some form of conversation.

Cyr glanced over to the vampire, his lips parting slightly in thought. He inhaled sharply, his shoulder tensing before relaxing, his eyes closing and his gaze dropping to the side, back towards Maki. "I don't...particularly like knives. They're just a tool, a means to an end...but I think they're better in the field than guns. There's more of a poetic element to it, it's more...personal...I guess..." he explained, biting his lip.

Talking about work, in any context, put Cyr on edge. He had been careful. Part of the difficulty of being him was his inability to tell a lie. He could tell half-truths, which he often did, but full-lies were beyond his capability. He didn't want to end up giving away too much information about Deathsayers. "W-why did you decide to help?" he asked in return, his voice more timid than he would have liked.

"Hm? Help you when? With the strangers, well they were following both of us weren't they? I didn't particularly feel like waiting for them to make a move." Ai stretched his arms behind his back.

"Right...still...you didn't have to. You could just as easily have ignored it to no consequence," Cyr pointed out, picking at his rice. The assassin took a bite of the food, chewing contemplatively. He knew that Yeve sometimes had motives behind what she did, like sending Alexis and himself places for purposes unknown to them. He wondered what her motive was this time.

"Anyways...thank you...for patching me up I guess," he mumbled, blushing lightly. He wasn't used to thanking people, especially for such a personal reason.

"You're welcome". Ai said softly and flashed a smile. Picking up his bowl he washed it and placed it back on the counter. An irritated meow reminded Ai he hadn't fed Maki yet. Putting some biscuits and ham in his bowl he watched curiously at Cyr pet Maki. He really did like animals a lot it seemed. And it seemed Maki returned the feeling a loud purr coming from under the table. "Well, it's still a little while before they're due back is there anything you'd like to do?"

Cyr shrugged. "Not specifically..." he murmured, finishing his food. He followed suit, clearing his plate, pausing to scritch gently behind Maki's pointed ears. "...do you know what breed Maki is?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him as he sat on the floor. The cat had finished quickly with its food, so Cyr had gently picked it up, cradling Maki to his chest as he waited for Ai to answer.

"He's a Ragamuffin I believe". Cyr looked mildly comfortable with Maki, deciding that he was probably more at ease at the moment tan he would if Ai tried starting more awkward attempts at conversation he picked up his book and resumed reading. Sitting quite elegantly on the kitchen counter.

Cyr cradled the cat to his chest, looking at the book in the vampire's hands. "...what are you reading?" he asked, still feeling fragile. The teen smiled as Maki nuzzled her head against his cheek, demanding more attention. Cyr decided that, maybe, as long as he got to play with the cat, maybe he'd try to be civil to Ai. No use chasing off a furry friend by being mean to their human partner...

Ai looked up from his book. "Just an old book of poetry" He placed the book to his chin a strange habit he had formed for some reason. He laughed; "It gets a bit boring when you've already read all of the books but we should be getting some new stock in tomorrow".

"New books huh?" Cyr asked, pausing in his petting of the small animal. The handsome teen stood up, still holding the cat gently. "Can I help at all...around here?" he asked, blushing lightly as Maki licked at his neck. He would never openly admit that his neck was one of his most sensitive spots...and hoped ardently that the vampire didn't notice his reaction as he school his expression into place.

All he would need would be for a vampire, of all people, to find out about that and he'd likely never hear the end of it from Icer...and would have to put up with a round of 'pain in the neck' jokes...a prospect which Cyr loathed almost as much as being forced to stay with an unfamiliar person.

"There's not much to do at all." Ai gave a solemn smile. "It helps to have hobbies here, if I hadn't I think I might of possibly died of boredom by now. I think it would really do some help to get out of this shop while we can. How about the park nearby? We can bring Maki, he'd enjoy getting some fresh air too I think."

Cyr stared at the vampire for a moment longer before nodding. "...just...let me get changed first...and we need to bring the book," he said, setting the cat on the kitchen counter, smiling as the feline rubbed against his hand, begging to be picked back up. The teen left the room, another sigh escaping his lips. While he was nowhere near as bad as Alexis in terms of boredom, he had a feeling that being cooped up, even in the open, with a...a jailer...looking over his shoulder, would drive him slowly mad.

'...not that I'm not already...takes a special case to kill people for a living,' he snickered softly to himself as he swiftly changed into his mended clothes, toeing on his boots. He slipped his vest on, entering the kitchen again and picking up the knife from where he'd set it on the counter, hooking it into its drop-sheath.

The brunet glanced over at Ai, who was petting Maki, obviously in thought, not daring to disturb the man. '...fuck it all...' the back corner of his mind supplied, '...'m acting like a fucking housewife and it hasn't even been twenty-four hours. Complacency is not acceptable...but the guy's a tweeker when he's pissed...and with this damned bracelet on I'm as good as stuck anyways...' he thought, a dark scowl settling on his face as his pride fought with his want to get outside, even if the vampire would be with him.

Ai tilted his head and smiled at Cyr, obviously still tormented by the situation. Ai truly didn't want to keep the other man locked up, but his own pride wouldn't let him back out of a promise; even if it did mean upsetting Cyr. Besides, he was hoping once they could sort the situation he might be able to open up a bit more; after all it had been Ai wishing he could spend more time with the man. He handed Maki over to Cyr and hung back for a second holding the folktale book. "You go ahead, I just need to sort a couple of things before I come out." It was little solace for the man's position but he was hoping it was at least small comfort.

Cyr accepted the feline, cradling the cat once more to his body, Maki's paws resting against his left shoulder as the cat mewled for attention. The purple eyed teenager couldn't help but smile softly, both at the cat and at Ai's words. Even if the man were telling the truth about needing to settle a few things before leaving, Cyr thought it was rather nice of his host to allow him to be alone for a few minutes.

The assassin left through the front door, nuzzling his cheek against Maki's furry face as he sat on the front steps of the library, thinking. He could tell that Ai was really trying to be kind to him, to make it easier for him to adjust. Still, no matter what the intention Cyr did not like being treated like an invalid or a prisoner. Yet...Ai could have chosen to be colder to him. Cyr should give him a chance as a person...but he didn't know if he'd be able to as long as the threat of Alexis and Yeve being in danger, and his being stuck proving 'food and company' for an unknown...well...relatively unknown...person loomed above his head.

The brunet sighed, burying his face in Maki's fur, a wave of confusion and depression overwhelming him. He should make the best of the situation, but he knew he wouldn't be able to do that until he was allowed mobility, which meant the bracelet's removal. He didn't think he had the patience or strength of will to simply act cooperative while he could be out, doing his job protecting people and tracking down the creatures that had attacked Ai and himself the night before.

"Maki," he said, staring down into the black cat's eyes, his face serious, "...please tell me why the hell life has to be so complicated. Can you, please? Just tell me." The assassin chuckled, nosing the cat once more as he waited patiently for Ai.