A bell jangled as the door of the Ramen shop slammed closed behind them.
"Yuri! For the last time, what is going on?"
Yuri peered out the window. It seemed like they'd lost them. At least for now.
"Don't worry about it."
"Do not tell me what I may and may not worry about. I demand an explanation."
"Wolfram, please. Let's just sit down and have something to eat. I just want this to continue to be a nice evening."
As much as Wolfram wanted to oblige his fiance the nagging feeling in his gut would not subside.
"Yuri. You need to be honest with me. I'm your-"
He was cut off. They were here. They had followed them. The leader of the pack sneered cruelly.
"There they are. I had a hunch about you two fairies."
Yuri shuddered and took a step back.
"We don't want any trouble."
Wolfram's eyes ignited.
"What are they saying Yuri? What's going on?"
The teens laughed.
"Sounds like the little blonde fag can't even speak the language."
"Yuri, what's that word? I think I heard it before."
"Um it's a word for two men who are...together."
Wolfram was confused.
"And? Are you telling me the people here have a problem with that?"
"Some of them do."
Wolfram placed a hand in front of Yuri protectively and pushed him behind him.
"If any of you lunkhead miscreants even think about laying a hand on him I solemnly swear I will slice you into ribbons. There will be hardly anything left for your families to mourn when I am done with you."
The shop was quiet. The few customers at the bar had turned around to watch. They were obviously more concerned with getting a good show than being good samaritans.
A teen with bleached white hair cracked his knuckles menacingly and returned Wolfram's glare.
"I don't know what the fuck he's saying but I don't like the look on his face."
"Haha, dude. He's baring his teeth at you. Maybe he thinks he's a dog?"
"Well. This dog's about to neutered."
The white haired one took a few steps toward them. Wolfram was poised to strike. Yuri gasped and dragged him into the bathroom very much against Wolfram's will.
"No! Stop! What are you doing? Unhand me this instant!"
Once they were inside Yuri had to think fast. He grabbed a mop out of a nearby bucket and wedged the handle in the door so it couldn't be opened. Not easily anyway. He could hear the gang hammering away out there. That's only a temporary solution but it bought us a little bit of time. What are we going to do?
"Yuri!" Wolfram grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "How dare you!"
"How dare I?! I was saving us! If anything a thank you is in order!"
"A thank you? Why should I thank you? For dragging me away from a battle? For making me look like a coward? For keeping me from my duties?"
"Your duties?"
"Yes, Yuri. I am your fiance. It is my duty to protect you at all costs. I will sacrifice life and limb to keep you safe."
"Well I never asked you to!"
Wolfram looked like he had been punched instead of slapped.
"So...that's my answer then."
"Your answer to what?"
"My question. I know what you were going to say earlier."
"Is now really the time for this?"
"Absolutely! Back there I was going to ask you if...if you love me" Yuri was stunned. "You are so thoroughly confusing you make me want to rip out my hair. First you tell me you want to break off our engagement. Then you take me here and...behave the way you have all day. For a moment I really thought you feel something for me. However after your actions out there I can see I was clearly mistaken. You don't...love me."
"Wolfram I don't-" Wolfram braced himself for what he felt was the inevitable "know you. I don't know you. Not in the way I want to anyhow. I've been trying to tell you for so long now. The whole engagement thing and being the maoh...it's all happened so fast. I move slow. I need more time to process this situation and what I'm feeling."
"Well, what are you feeling?"
Yuri wrapped his arms around Wolfram's waist and pulled him close.
"That I am falling for you. I just haven't fallen yet. I hope you can be patient with me."
Yuri
There was a crack as the mop handle split in half. The door exploded in and the pair stumbled backwards...into the mop bucket. Into the dirty water. Then everything went black.