Chapter 1: The Yellow Blossom
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters
Okay it's the one everyone has been waiting for, An Autumn Affair ^-^ I've been building this up for a while now. Just to clear this up since it was a problem in the last one. This takes place in the same universe as the other books, just ten months after A Winter Wedding. I know that affair sounds wrong but Yellow is not married or having an affair. I chose it because it starts with A and was thinking of affair as in the definition 'A matter that is a particular person's concern or responsibility'. Also I'm going to try something new. There shall be two mysteries to solve. The killer and Yellow's past (I know that some of you must hate me at this point since you want to know so much :P). I'm also taking a risk with Red's character but I hope that you like it.
Red Moreland was drunk.
Yellow knew that she should've stopped him after his third drink but he gave her his charming smile and she couldn't say no. she was worried since she haven't seen him for almost three years. He used to visit her little pub for a couple of years before he disappeared. He had come into her sheltered life and gave her a glance into the outside world. A part of her was upset that he didn't recognize her. After a year, he just vanished. Then the moment he stepped back into her world, he hit the drinks. Hard.
She never saw him drink before since he only ordered food. She always wondered why he came to her pub, The Yellow Blossom. She looked around the room to see that it was almost empty and almost a few of her regulars still lingered. Red was resting his head on the polished wood and from the raise of his shoulders; she knew that he was sleeping. She didn't want to wake him just yet so decided to wait until everyone was gone to wake him.
Yellow watched as the others paid and left. She kept her head down as always when one stayed a little too long. She tried to draw as little attention to herself as possible. She wondered why Blue insisted that she hides herself as a pub owner but Blue said that no one from their childhood home would find her. Not many actually came to her pub but she was able to keep afloat with her uncle's inheritance.
She pushed aside her loneliness and turned back to Red sleeping on the counter. She moved behind the counter and reached out to tap his shoulder. She jumped when he grabbed her wrist even before she touched him. As always, there was a jolt when his crimson eyes met her amber ones. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that made her stop for a moment.
His grip on her wrist loosened and his eyes softened. His hand fell away from her, and leaned away from her. "I'm sorry."
"Are you okay?" Yellow asked in a soft voice. She reached out to him, not knowing what beckoned her to. He stopped her by grabbing her hand. His eyes seemed lost as he began to play with her fingers. She could feel the scars on her soft hands. She held her breath as he raised his eyes to hers.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" He asked which made Yellow's heart jump. Was he still drunk? His eyes were sharp and his words weren't slurred so he wasn't drunk. He just seemed to be tired. In her heart she hoped that his words were true yet a part of her still held doubt. He looked into her eyes and a part of her believed him. She couldn't move away when his eyes held her captive, drawing her deeper into his spell.
"It's too loud," He moved away from her, breaking the spell and sitting up straighter. Even sitting, he was taller than her, which wasn't hard considering that she was short for her age. He was a large man in weight and height, over six feet in fact. The man didn't seem to have an inch of fat on him and his muscles rippled as he growled something beneath his breath. His raven hair reached the nape of his neck though his hair stuck up in the front no matter how many times he tried to comb it. Then there were his crimson eyes that she could never forget.
"No one's here," She said quietly, wondering how he could find the low buzz of the music she put on could be seen as loud. Red shook his head and Yellow turned to shut off the radio behind her. She saw that Red was leaning her head again the counter again. He seemed less tense but a part of her still worried about him.
"I was worried about you," she said softly and he stiffened. "You disappeared and I know that we aren't that close but-"
"You shouldn't be," Red's voice suddenly went hard which made her jump. She never heard a voice more menacing than… She shook herself from the thought. Blue told her not to dwell on it so she refused to do so.
"Do you have a way to get home?" Yellow asked, looking into the bloodied depth of his eyes. They were sharper now but not enough to calm Yellow's worry. Red didn't answer her since he didn't want to return to his cold home. He could feel Yellow's eyes on him so he shook his head as an answer to appease her. He knew it was wrong to be here since it was dangerous for her to be around him.
"You're in no condition to walk home so I'll call you a taxi," Yellow offered. She moved to the phone and looked back at Red. She envisioned the man before that would always smile and make her smile. What had happened in those three years he was gone?
"Rest until it comes," she said gently, deciding to clean the pub while he slept. She went to the door and turned the open sign over. She didn't know if it was just her imagination but she thought she saw someone staring from across the street. She felt panic rushed through her and she backed up slightly. He couldn't have found her.
She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that he continued to walk down the street. She moved back to the counter and began to wipe it down, careful to avoid Red's sleeping body. Having him back sent an odd sense of safety to her, a feeling that she never felt since that day, even with all of Blue's assurance. She jumped when there was a knock at the pub's door. She moved to open it but stopped when she recognize him as the man from across the street.
Yellow's scream jerked Red into awareness. He got to his feet and turned in one deadly fluid motion. Rage filled his vision when he saw Yellow throw up her arms in front of her face to protect her face from the glass that flew when the man's fist broke through the door. Red quickly pushed Yellow behind him and grabbed the man's hand, pulling him completely through the door. Yellow screamed as glass scattered everywhere but Red ignored it.
He easily slammed the man against the ground and raised his fist to punch the man. He barely heard the man's pathetic cry of mercy. The man tried to stab Red but Red knocked the knife out of his hand, skimming it only slightly away. He pleaded that he was only trying to steal some money even as Red turned his face bloody.
The face of the man changed and his blue eyes became red. In Red's mind, he was killing himself, the demon within himself. If only it was this easy to rid himself of the demon he became. Even after the man had pasted out, he continued to attack the man. He only stopped when he ran out of energy. He backed away, standing fully to look down at the man. Red's hand shook as he thrust them into his pockets to hide them.
He heard whimpering and turned to see Yellow cowering in the corner. A dark cloud settled over him at the sight of her rocking back and forth. He must've scared her and he couldn't blame her if she feared him for the rest of her life. A part of him hoped that she wouldn't shut him out. Her face was buried in her hands and she whimpering something about something he couldn't make out. He started to reach out to her but stopped when he realized that his hands were still shaking. He snarled and drew it back and merely knelt beside her, acting as a supportive presence.
Yellow didn't push him away but he didn't know if she even noticed him beside her. She was screaming and Red wondered if her cries would alert the neighbours. Her eyes were opened wide but they didn't focus on anything.
"Did you kill him?" She asked softly, her body quivering.
Red looked back to the body and saw the man's chest rising slightly. "He's still alive."
Yellow raised to her feet on shaky legs and walked over to him. Her whole body was shaking as she knelt to the man. She leaned over the man and stared over the man's face. She stared at him for a long moment before she finally spoke again, "It's not him."
There was something sad in her voice and Red began to wonder. He didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved since she began to giggle. Tears flowed down her eyes even as she covered her mouth to try to smother her laughter. He had seen this several time before and knew that people react to death in several ways. They either go into crying attacks or panicked laughs. He had no reactions to death any more.
"I'll call the police," Red offered.
"No!" She turned to him. The way she reacted to his words made his suspicion rise but he could see that she was afraid. Her hands shock as she tried to wipe her hands on her skirt. He didn't notice anything on her hand but she continued to rigorously wipe her hands. "We can't call the police! He'll find me if we call the police. The reporters will help him find me. I don't want him to find me!"
Red heard something scrape against the wooden floor and saw the glint of the knife that the man was trying to pull out. He reacted quickly. Yellow flinched and began to panic when he pushed her aside roughly. She sat up just in time to see the man sliced at Red's leg. She winced when she saw that it hit an artery.
A part of her fought back the fear and kicked the man's head. Quickly pulling out her phone, she called Silver even as she jumped forward and pressed her hands to the wound. She analysed the wound and thought over everything she needed. The minute she heard Silver's voice, she barked orders at him. It wasn't like her to talk to someone like that but Red's life was in danger.
"Red, look at me. You need to keep your eyes open," Yellow said softly, afraid that he would slip into a coma if he fell asleep. "You can't go to sleep right now. Please, you need to stay with me. Tell me about Pika, is he still scratching you? Please Red you need to talk to me so that you stay awake. Red!"
Despite everything she tried, her voice in fact lulled him to a sleep.
"I'm glad that you've made it here on time," Yellow said gently as she dressed Red's wound. It felt wrong to use hospital equipment again even if it was to save Red's life. Silver stood behind her and watched her play with the equipment. He had to rub his sore shoulder since it still ached from carrying Red up the stairs to the guest room. He had gotten the equipment from the local hospital with ease and had it moved to her home. Then he arrested the man for trespassing and attempted murder. He also called Lyra to make sure that word about Yellow never reached the press.
"Thank you Silver," Yellow said in a shaky voice. Silver only shrugged in answer since he knew that Yellow was still in shock. He looked at her lap where she held a yellow ball of fluff close to her body. She had Lyra to go to Red's house to get the small creature, worried that it would go hungry without its owner home to take care of it.
"Do you think that he'll find me?" Yellow asked in a shaky voice. Silver noticed that she had reverted to rubbing her hands on her skirt, a habit that she had developed years before when her world first fell apart.
"Blue and I have done everything we could to make you safe," Silver assured her but he could still see the doubt in her eyes. He wasn't very good in emotional support and didn't know how to reassure her. He wished that Lyra was here but he didn't want to wake or worry her. "He won't find you. It's seen seven years now, do you really think that he's still looking for you."
"You didn't know him," Yellow sat on the chair beside Red. "He'll never stop looking for me."
Red felt as if he had lost gallons of blood. In fact he was quit close to and that left him feeling fatigue and tired. Despite that, his hand still shook and throbbed. He swore loudly and smashed his fist against the wall beside him. When he tried to sit up, a hot searing pain ran up his leg. He bit his lip and forced himself to ignore the pain and sit up fully. It took more energy than he thought it would and had to collapse against the pillow after he sat fully. He looked around the little quaint room and saw that it was sparsely furnished and held the bare minimal.
Where was he? The blanket fell away and he saw that he was shirtless and his pants had been cut away for his wound to be dressed. He could remember the events of last night slightly but it fought with the sound of gunfire and scream for attention. A part of him screamed for him to run while another told him that he need to stay.
Red was so tired of fighting and running that he wanted to lie down and let death take him. It would quiet the voices in his head and he wouldn't see those yellow eyes again. Even before he left his past behind him, those yellow eyes haunted him. The moment he walked into the Yellow Blossom he thought he found the little girl but Amarillo wasn't her. Her eyes didn't hold the same laughter and she was too young to be who he was thinking of.
Still he didn't know if he should address the issue of Amarillo. It seemed like years ago when he went to his friend for guidance he told him to go find his childhood friend Yellow. When Green handed him a picture of Yellow he instantly recognize her as Amarillo. He didn't say anything to Green and didn't know if he should ask Amarillo herself… Yellow… whoever she was.
Red turned to the door when he heard footsteps. He reached under his pillow to get his knife but found that it wasn't there. It all crashed down on him then. He wasn't in his home, haunted as any empty space is to him. He didn't know where he was or what to expect and that sent a panic through him. He couldn't fight with his leg as well. He grabbed the pillow thinking that once his capture got closer, he could smother him and escape.
Yellow hesitated before opening the door. She remembered Red's action and she felt a doubt settle in her. She could never imagine Red fighting so brutally that she feared him a little too. Would he hurt her? Swallowing her hear fear, she entered the door. She saw that Red's eyes widened as she entered and he placed a pillow aside.
They stared at each other for a moment before Yellow turned away. She stood far away from him, pressing against the wall slightly, watching Red for a sign or warning. When he didn't say anything or didn't move, she carefully came forward. She placed the tray of food next to him and waiting for him to ask the question she knew would come. She quickly backed away from him.
"Why did you heal me? Why didn't you bring me to the hospital?" He asked taking the tray and placing it on his lap, wincing when it touched his knife wound. He looked up at Yellow and could see it in her scared eyes that she was trying to find a lie.
"I can't take you to the hospital," He was surprise that she was telling him the truth. "It's too dangerous if you went to the hospital. There are questions I don't want to answer, questions that I can't answer."
Red's mind began to race at her words. What was she trying to hide? He remembered her reaction to him calling the police and his mind created the worst of scenarios. Did she kill someone? He knew that she wasn't Amarillo, but in fact Yellow del Bosque Verde. Was she hiding for someone or hiding a crime that she committed. He was in the home of a killer!
He looked back her again and something settled into his heart. Even though he knew that looks can be deceiving, yet she didn't look like the type of person that could kill someone. In fact, she looked like she couldn't lift her own weight. She was a small woman and he knew she didn't even reach his shoulder. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a pony tail and some locks fell out to cup her face. Her small fingers tangled together and he could sense her nervousness. The one moment she raised her amber eyes that was sprinkled in gold dust he felt something move in his heart.
"You have to stay here until your wounds heal fully," Yellow's voice was pleading and all he could do was nod. There was a desperation in her voice that he felt he had to calm her. His agreement seemed to calm her so she went on, "I'll have to call Blue. She'll know what to do."
Something clicked in his mind. He knew of Blue's business and that she often helped others with her business. He watched her walk out of the room and he could only lie back on the bed. He wanted to smash his fist through something since he never felt so powerless. Also, in this condition his nightmares would come to him more easily. He just hoped that Yellow didn't come in while he was in the claws of his memories.
He could still feel the coldness over take him. A coldness that engulfed his warm heart in ice until only the hollow demon lived. He hated himself for being weak and not being able to fight but a part of him knew he could never bet the inner demons laying in his soul. He snorted at the memory of his friends and how they used to call him The Fighter of the group. How wrong they were since he couldn't defend himself from simple nightmares! If only they lived long enough to see how wrong they were.
Red raised his hand and swore when he saw that they were cover in blood. Too tired to fight anymore, he let sleep, and the nightmares, over take him again.
"What happened to you?" The reporter gasped at the bandages on the man's face. He had waited outside the police station, hoping to find a story when this man had walked out. The man seemed in a right rage so guessed that this story was going to be a good one.
"I was going to rob this little pub but there was this guy that beat me until there were stars everywhere. He was like a demon! And then when I finally came to, I have this bastard of a cop threatening. He threatened my family if I said anything to reporters about this then he would throw my ass in jail. My wife is already going to kill me since she had to pay bail again. I thought there would only be that blonde there but no that bastard had to be there as well! Are there any sane people in this world anymore?"
"Excuse," The reporter came to attention. "Can you tell me about the blond woman? And can you tell me where this pub is?"
The man didn't see anything wrong since he didn't see him as a reporter so described the woman he saw briefly before the man attacked him. The man kept nodding and he wondered if there was anything to his sudden interest. He noticed that a slow smile spread across his face as he thanked the man and left.
"Finally, I've you again Yellow, you bitch," He snickered beneath his breath. Then he saw a blonde woman crossing the street. She wasn't Yellow but he decided to have some fun before he faced the woman that ruined his life. He couldn't wait to wash his hands with her blood. "The bitch shall pay."
I know this is short but it's just the first chapter that's going to set up for the next. Don't have much to say since I said it in the beginning.
Review if you like.