Of Love and Comfort and Hurt

Hey! This is my second Yurita Fanfiction, and I am actually going to make it long this time! Because my last story was, well, blah. I admit it... Lol. So here this one goes! Wish me luck, and please review! xD *Warning: Spoilers are in this story.* One shot.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Vesperia, because if I did, Yuri and Rita would be a canon pairing.

"Our next guild job for you is to go to the Shaikos Ruins and fill the Hunting Blades monster book with all the monsters in the ruins. The pay is 10,000 Gald. Are you up to the task?" Karol asked Yuri as he was sifting through all of the papers on his desk in Brave Vesperia HQ.

The prospering guild had been granted a HQ in Dahngrest ever since Yuri and his companions had defeated Alexei. Rita had also joined the guild. Karol was not happy, because he would have to suffer being a human punching bag, but at the same time he could not reject a friend. On the other hand, Yuri was quite pleased to hear the news. He would miss her sass and snarky attitude if she had not joined. And he had developed feelings for her. Not the sibling love he had for Estelle, not the type of friendly love he had for Judith. He had feelings for Rita that he swore he would never let in.

But yet, they still did. They snaked they're way back into his everyday thoughts, and he always tried to shake them. They just kept coming back. He felt like he had no control. Slowly but surely, he knew he would lose his mental battle. And that day had come. He couldn't resist the temptation to just pick her up and sweep her off her feet.

"I will, today, confess. I swear it." Yuri thought to himself.

"So are you taking the job or not?" Karol said very impatiently.

Whoops. Caught up in daydreams about Rita. Again.

"Yea, sure. Extra Gald isn't hurting anyone. So did they send the monster book along with the job request?"

"No, it says Nan will be waiting at the tavern here in Dahngrest with the book. So who will you be taking with you? I could come!"

"No, I will take Rita. You have a lot of work to do. So why doesn't our captain Karol just rest up a bit?"

"You're right. And it will be nice to get Rita of my hands for a while. I would like to not be a punching bag for a few hours!"

"What did you say, Punk?" Rita said as she proceeds to punch Karol. Karol fell to the ground.

"Ahhh!" Karol Shrieked.

"Violence sure solves everything, Rita." Yuri said in a sarcastic reply.

"Shut up if you don't want to end up like him!"

"Ah. You got me there. O.k., O.k, I'm silenced."

"Good. So what's this I hear about wanting me to go to the Shaikos Ruins?"

"You have been listening to this whole conversation?!" Karol yelled.

"Yea, if I didn't, why would I be punching you? Think about it. That's the logical outcome."

"Well, I will be nice JUST ONCE and forget about all the punching. That aside, we need you and Yuri to go the Shaikos Ruins and fill up the Hunting Blades monster book with all of the monsters in the ruins. The pay is 10,000 Gald, and you would two would split the pay. Are you going to accompany Yuri?"

"Well, if you want me off your hands so bad, I have no choice but to say yes."

"Great! You can find Nan at the tavern here in Dahngrest. But you were eavesdropping, so I bet you already knew that."

"Ohhhh, I am so going to get you back!" Rita said angrily as she charged towards Karol.

Yuri lifted Rita up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. "I don't think so!" He said as a huge grin spread across his face. He thought, luckily, she could not see his facial expression.

"Hey! Let! Me! Go!" Rita screamed as her feet kicked and her body flailed all over.

Yuri grabbed his sword and walked out the HQ door with the young mage hanging limply over his shoulder. He had won that battle.

After a short time off annoying and aggravating stares, he finally put Rita down, but kept a firm grip on her hand. He put his thumb on her wrist, and felt her blood run faster than normal. He then took his thumb and caressed the palm of her hand.

"W-What the hell are you doing?"

"Just making sure you don't try to go back and hurt Karol again. An injured boss isn't going to be able to give us work and a paycheck, is he?"

"Hmph."

But both of them knew the real reason why Yuri was hold onto her hand so tight and not letting go. The genius mage knew he loved her, no matter how much he would try to hide his feelings. And deep down, somewhere in her heart, she was falling for him, too. She couldn't hide it for too long, as a deep shade of crimson now covered her face. Like she did earlier, she dared to pull and thrash her body around, trying to release herself from Yuri's grasp. But Yuri won, once again. She knew she was a mage, and he was a swordsman. She knew the outcome would be the same each time. And somehow, she liked that.

They arrived at the tavern on the other side of town. Yuri kept a warm, yet solid hold on Rita's hand as he lead her inside the tavern. There, Nan was waiting with cold, unwelcoming look on her face. I wonder how Karol could like that, Yuri thought to himself.

"You're here, finally. Kept me waiting long enough." Nan said with a grunt.

"Nice to see you, too." Yuri sat down at the same table as Nan, and Rita followed. "So let's cut right to the chase. Where is the monster book?"

"Right here." Nan pushed the book along with the gald on top of it, and she began to leave to tavern.

"Wait! Why are you paying me now? Shouldn't you pay us after the job is done?"

"Your guild has a good reputation, right? I can trust you to get the job done. Meet me at the tavern at 9:00 PM." Nan exited the tavern.

"Well She's a stubborn one." The young mage commented.

"Well, we should be heading to the ruins. You know the place the best. You wanna lead the way?

"Finally, you see me as an adult capable of doing things on my own! Sure, it would be better that way."

Better that way?, Yuri thought. Does she not love me like I love her? Does she not share the same feelings?

They headed out to the long, rolling hills and fresh un-cut grass. The moment of sweet, soft, beautiful nature was soon lost by the howl of Ba'ul descending from the sky. They boarded their ship that Ba'ul held ever so carefully. In about 2 minutes, the two arrived at the Shaikos Ruins.

"Now that's what I call high speed transportation!" Yuri grinned.

Rita smiled lightly, and then went back to her normal, straight poker-face. " Let's just get this job over with."

"Whatever floats your boat."

Yuri and Rita went at full speed collecting monster data and entering it in the book. When Yuri fights, it is like he is in a complete other world. Like nothing else matters. Then, from the back of his mind, remembers his promise.

"I will, today, confess. I swear it."

Yuri took a deep breath, and swallowed down his pride. He spoke words he never though would have meaning.

"Rita? I have something I really need to confess to you."

"Yea? Can you please make it quick? I want to get back to the HQ. I am getting quite tired."

"I love you."

"W-what?"

Yuri cringed. It had been a bit worse than he expected. He wasn't quite sure what to think. Does she love me? Does she hate me? Will she no longer be friends with me? Is she shocked? All of these thoughts and many more ran through his head. All over a simple what. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. He was confused. Befoggled. Just plain messed up. Times like these he wishes he had the courage to speak, like in battle. That's when Rita decides to break the silent, awkward tension.

"I will consider your confession."

That's when all chaos breaks lose. All of his greatest fears and more have been answered. I bet that's just her way of telling me she hates me. She will never, ever love me. All pain. All hurt. But like normal, he doesn't let it show.

By then, after all the thoughts and pondering, they had reached the heart of the ruins. Right there, they saw memorys flash before their eyes. They saw Goliath.

"Is that…" Rita's eyes looked of fear.

"Is what?"

"It's being powered by a Hermes blastia! Yuri! Run! It's too dangerous! I can take care of it."

But Yuri, being Yuri, charges toward Goliath. Within an instant, he is knocked back with an incredible force. A huge gash opens in his chest.

"YURI!" Rita ran towards Yuri.

"Heh, you see," Yuri talked in a lot of pain, "If I can't take him, you can't."

"Yuri! Don't die on me!"

"As long as you are safe, I can leave peacefully."

Rita with all her force, she lifted Yuri up. She could barely support him, but she was determined to get him to safety, no matter what the cost.

Rita brought him to the entrance of the ruins.

"Rita, you didn't have too…"

"Yuri, I love you! I can't live without you!" A stream of tears went down each side of her face.

With all care and kindness in her heart, she kissed him on the lips. He kissed passionately back. Good, he's alive. She looked at the giant gash in his chest. Then the most impossible miracle happened. His gash slowly closed up. She kissed him over and over again. Like before his gash closed up even more until it was not visable.

"Rita…"

"Yuri… Don't ever try to leave me like again."

And even through all that hurt, Yuri and Rita both were thinking, I wouldn't change a thing.

Fin.

So… What do you think? I hope it was good! And from here on out, my writing is only going to get better :D So… Please Review! I hope I will be able to get a lot of fanfictions up this summer, and I sure hope to see a lot more Yuritas! I am diehard fan of that pairing… Seriously… Lol.