Going to the designated place was rather fast although quite far from the bunkhouse. The isolated area was a peaceful community with a large space. They didn't encounter any trouble on the way there. As they got in the house, Garou quietly sat in a hidden area outside looking out for any signs of the enemy. "Just call out for me when something goes wrong." She nodded back at him.

Yumiko walked silently in the halls of her home, avoiding the children. It was lunch time, the schedule where all children and teens were inside the dining hall. It was better to be hidden for now. Fortunately, the person she needed to see was in her own room.

Getting in, she rushed towards the older woman.

"Aunt Claire!" She hugged her.

"Yumiko!" The woman was beyond shocked, she was showing mixed emotions all at the same time. "You're not supposed to be in here."

"A lot of things had happened! Are you okay here? People are out to kill me, but I was rescued by a friend. And I wanted to ask you-"

"You're not supposed to be in here, Yumiko." She said, as soon as she got a grip of herself, she tried her best to give a stern front. "You need to leave."

"Wha- why, it's me, Yumiko. I just told you people are-"

"I know." And it's extremely dangerous here for you. It only takes a second for them to find out!

"Huh..?" She asked, perplexed.

"I knew what would happen to you. I was the one that sold you out." She said, as straightforward as she can, not to show any sympathy. The older woman was trying to get her to leave as soon as possible.

I tried so hard not to think about this. "You knew they'd kill me? That they will put me through that and kill me? That's not true." She asked her, tears welling up. Yumiko grabbed her aunt's hands to her face.

She looks at her, expecting her to take back her words.

"I'm sorry Yumiko." Aunt Claire held her back her hands.

"B-but, you were like a mother to me!"

"I know, but.."

The woman with an expressionless face, looked straight at her.

"...you were the sacrifice I'm willing to make, for the good of all."

I don't believe it. "Did they force you into this? Let me help you, please." She said the last word in the lowest voice she could muster.

The signals have already been sent to the Empire, alerting the woman as well.

"It was my decision. Now please leave. If they know you're in here, the others will be in trouble." She ordered. You need to go, now.

Those words shattered her. She couldn't be angry. Maybe there's nothing that Aunt Claire could have done. But how could you say that so easily. Like you didn't even have a hint of remorse.

Stunned, tears falling down her cheeks. She turned her back, unable to say anything.

She was pulled in an embrace. "Run." The older woman said in a hushed voice. She felt a small notebook handed to her.

"Leave now." She told in an unyielding voice, but with a face that screams of fear.

She wiped her tears and silently bowed. "I'm sorry, Yumiko." Hearing that, she turned and ran to the backdoor where Garou is located.

"Garou! We need to go." He stood from where he was and went to her.

"Well that was fast. What happened?" Seeing her tearful face, he held her head and brushed her hair aside."Oi, you okay?"

She said looking away, dejected. "You were right after all."

God I truly wished I wasn't. "Don't get stuck up on it. We don't know everything yet."

"Okay.." I still need to see what she handed to me.

"Let's go."

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side. They haven't been too far from the vicinity when a group of criminals blocked their exit and surrounded them. They were a rowdy group with around ten people.

"We hit the jackpot!"

"Good thing we went in this direction or other competitors will see them."

She clutched his arms, "Garou, what do we do?"

"You stay still." He took a step forward. He has been waiting for some real action the last fews days and now a fight has come to him, he was itching to punch someone.

"Hand over the girl, and we'll leave you be." A decent looking guy told him, thinking it was better to do this without fighting the guy with her. This is the one that rescued the girl? Looks too young.

Frightened, Yumiko looked at his back. Would he? He could, this is not his fight. He wasn't saying anything. It worried her. "Garou?" Would he leave me as well?

She was beginning to panic. Shouts from the gang were thrown towards the pair.

"The Boss will surely be happy when we turn you over, girl! And we'll be receiving recognition!"

"The bounty on you is a large prize girl! Now come quietly with us."

Garou looked around assessing the situation. All this would be easy if she wasn't in the middle of the fight. "Tch." They were surrounded, the best they could do is for her to stay close to him while he fights. It'll be troublesome if they get a hold of her. He'll be fighting with consideration of how her attackers will move.

A man with a whip whistled out to her like a pet. "Come here girl."

Finally, he spoke out. "Shut up, moron. Are you that scared that you wouldn't want to fight me? Heh. I guess that's a good decision." She was relieved when she heard him.

She took a step and looked at him and he was smiling menacingly. He's all pumped up..?

"You'll regret saying that. We'll kill you and play around with that girl!"

He laughed maniacally. "Sorry to wreck your plans, but I can totally take all of you. Now, don't you disappoint me." His eyes turn deadly.

He turned towards her. "Oi, stay close to me." She nodded her head fast at his instruction.

"And don't let anyone touch you."

Meanwhile in the Empire..

"Capture the both of them and send them to the Main Headquarters."

"Yes my Lord. Do we include the white haired man with her?"

"Yes, he seems strong. He'll be good enough."

"Will be they taken as a guest or a prisoner?"

The man smiled in a sinister manner.

"As players."

"Don't knock yourself out, idiot!" Garou mocked as he used the man's own weapon- a naginata, against the criminal tripping him. He was definitely enjoying this fight. As much as he was doing the trouble of fighting those men and looking out for Yumiko, he loves the challenge. It gets him all riled up.

The attackers had a variety of weapons that they were using, but they had enough sense not to hit the girl beside Garou.

Three men attacked simultaneously, two charging at Garou and the other one aiming to get a hold of Yumiko. Garou calculated their moves, and easily sidestepped their attack. He moved away from the line of danger, at the same time seizing Yumiko's arms away from her assailant. He struck down the men with such power that blood came out from their faces.

Garou is abnormally strong. Strong enough to be an S-Class hero. Exceptional sense, fast movements, excellent techniques and greatly strategic. She mused, watching him fight the whole time. Her eyes dilated. Ahh what an attractive sight.

"What the hell! This guy's stronger than we've expected!" A criminal angrily fussed at the other.

"Oya, really are you even trying?" Garou ridiculed them, an arm still holding Yumiko. "Come on, I'm one hand short already! Haha!" He grinned evilly while lifting her arms.

"Don't say things like that! They'll get more angry." She said in a hushed whisper, pulling his shirt.

"YOU should be angry. They attacked us, remember?" He said irately.

"Don't be so full of yourself boy!" One of them said and began to strike him.

The fight continued, with Garou still not letting go of her thin arm. It almost looked like they were dancing. He parried attacks from the surrounding enemies all the while pushing, pulling and twirling Yumiko around and out of the way of trouble.

Swinging back and forth with such force, was getting her quite nauseous. "I'm getting really dizzy.." She couldn't help much, thinking she'll hold him back in close combat.

When Garou got used to their movements and style, he went on the offensive, knocking those who came close with a deathblow.

Seeing a whip of spikes heading towards Garou, she acted fast. Yumiko moved into the way of the weapon and created a shield for the both of them. That split second had him in his toes.

For a moment, time froze. She looked breathtaking, like a goddess saving his ass from trouble. His eyes shined brighter, like he was seeing her for the first time.

That was it for him.

He was greatly defiant of his feelings towards her before, but now he was undoubtedly certain.

Crap. I'm so whipped.

"Don't get in the way of danger, Yumiko!" He tried to brush it off but the beating of his heart was ringing in his ears.

"They won't hurt me. I'll be perfect as your shield." She said elated as if she solved a hard problem.

"That's still risky, you idiot!"

"Let. Me. Help." She said while she diverted shurikens aimed at Garou.

Seeing she won't budge, he exhaled loudly. "You're a piece of work, you know that?" You don't cease to amaze me.

.

.

They were down to three.

The fighter with a machete attacked first trying to slash him, which Garou easily deflected and kicked his face using his knees. The decent looking man with a close combat fighting style began to attack him as well, with a fighting style Garou wasn't familiar with.

Garou was purposely backing off to observe his fight style. As he continued deflecting the attacks from the guy and glancing up occasionally at Yumiko, he didn't notice the other one. When the man with a machete sneakily tried to attack him from behind, Yumiko struck him with a strong force including Garou's current opponent.

This was their first fight together. And right now everything's going well. They gazed briefly at each other.

"We make a good team" She said in a cheerful tone, as if they haven't been fighting criminals.

"Hell yeah we do" He smirked.

Behind her the last man standing threw a small bear trap type of weapon aimed at her. These criminals weren't about to return empty handed, and if they needed to harm the girl a little bit, they would do it. It was better than her slipping out their grasp.

Garou darted to move her from the oncoming weapon, but clamped on his upper arm in the process. "Fuck!" Pain spread throughout his arms. Were they seriously trying to hit this on her?

"Garou!" Right away, she removed the trap with her ability and used it to tie down the last guy standing.

She held his bloodied arm ready to heal him when they heard other men approaching them. "I'll be fine. I'll take care of it later."

The men they fought were all knocked down, but reinforcements were too quick, hearing the commotion.

"Let's go Garou!" Before he could protest, she grabbed his hand and went to the direction of a bridge.

"Huh. I can still fight those bastards."

"You're wounded already!"

"You're not getting away!" A tall man yelled at them.

Yumiko, seeing a small fire from the battlegrounds, manipulated the flames and spread it in the way of their chasers with a swing of her hand.

"The fuck! You can create fire!?" He asked, astonished.

"No, I just steered it over and amplified the flames."

"There's a lot of things you need to show me. I'm getting oh so stoked." He's literally shuddered from excitement.

"Maybe after I patch you up!" She said eagerly. She grabbed his hand again and pulled him on.

.

.

They fled from the area making sure no one was following them. Whilst rushing for escape, she asked, "Are you okay Garou? Let me heal you."

"I've been through worse. Let's just go wherever you're going to."

WIth Yumiko's lead, they headed towards a small apartment room in the nearby city with a smaller crowd.

"You don't strike me as a burglar."

"I'm not! This is mine. It's where I'm supposed to stay before getting caught in the game. They don't know this place. We can stay here for a while."

It was a small room with a few pieces of furniture.

After a few minutes, they have settled down. They sat on the small bed when Garou unceremoniously removed his shirt. Beginning to turn red, she looked away. "Oh, you fixing me or what?"

"I- uh yes." Biting her lip, she turned to face him.

She gently inspected his arms, treating him so much care that it weirded him out. Not that he's complaining. Carefully, she mended up his wound with a soft light glowing from inside it.

He was keenly looking at her face studying her. She looked worn out and lost in thought.

"Alright just save your energy." He pushed away her hands.

"I'm fine really.." She pulled him back and finished healing him.

When he noticed her hands were trembling, he lay hold of it. "What's happening to you?"

"Oh this, it's just I think I'm not used to releasing too much energy."

"Idiot, I told you not to join in the fight." He took off bandages of his own hands and wrapped it around her shaky ones.

"Thank you for this.. and for not turning me in on those people"

Without letting go, he asked, "Is that what's bothering you?"

It took a minute for her to answer. "For a while back, I thought you were going to leave me with them, like what she did.." She said bitterly. "So, I'm really grateful to you."

"I may be arrogant at times but I'm not a total ass. Anyways, she let you go. So maybe, she didn't have much choice." He said trying to console her since she was visibly downcast.

"But the way she said it. As if she didn't even hesitate to send me there that night. Like she was just disposing trash, like I didn't amount to anything. I am nothing but-"

"Stop." He interrupted, touching her cheeks. "Who cares what she thinks. Don't think less of yourself."

At that moment, sparks fly as if fireworks were exploding all around them.

She stared at him wide eyed and grasped his hand on her face. "Thank you, Garou. I really mean it. I have no words to express how lucky I am to be with you."

She kissed his face, almost touching the side of his lips and lingered for a few more seconds. The gesture tore down his last wall of self control towards her. Growling, he pulled the back of her head and smashed his lips onto her.

She yelped, surprised not really expecting anything but it didn't take long for her to kiss him back with the same fervor. He held her in a bone crushing embrace, wanting her as close as possible. She clutched his shirt drowning deeper and deeper into the moment. They didn't stop, not even to breathe.

After a few minutes, they were full on making out, exploring one another as it was both their first time. All the tension and their feelings for the past few days are pouring out in this kiss. Every contact and every touch were electrifying. Their erratic breaths and smacking lips were filling the quiet room.

Garou began slowly leaning on her, getting carried away by lust.

BAM!

They fell on the floor, breaking their trance. They were panting heavily. Garou, clouded with desire, is intensely looking at her like a hungry wolf. Seeing her like this, makes her more appetizing. It didn't help one bit that he realized his feelings for her just a while back.

"Uhm, your injuries- you should rest" She said, staring at his lips. Her mind, still floating on cloud nine.

"I told you, I'll be fine." He stood up and guided her on the bed. He was close to doing more to her than just kissing. Through his hazy mind, he reminded himself, one step at a time asshole. He wonders how he had such discipline to stop himself.

"Stay here with me." She clutched his hand.

They laid down, facing each other, just a breath away having the desire to be as closest to each other as possible. "You did great a while back. You can do things on your own without my help" He trailed his fingers along her visibly pink face. "But don't ever put yourself in harm's way again."

"And get you injured? No way. I don't want anything to happen to you." She held and kissed his hand chastely.

It was then his turn to blush. That's my line. "Heh. You know, I'm much stronger than you."

"That doesn't matter.." She smiled softly.

"You're really stubborn." He directed up her chin and claimed her lips tamely in contrast to their initial kiss. He then pulled her in an embrace, setting his chin on the top of her head. Slowly, she put her arms around him as well.

It felt like home.

Author's Notes:

Hi there! I think I should let you know that this fanfic would be extensive and would follow the events on the manga, so expect that it will be quite long!

Also, turns out, I can't really reply to reviews, but I want to thank you, it really means a lot!

Thanks for reading!