===== Chapter 3 =====

Island Getaway

After leaving Koko, Yuri went back home to Yoitz and told Monika all about her new girlfriend. She was so excited and couldn't stop gushing about Koko every chance she got. Once she got back, life for Yuri continued on like it had before while still conducting business for the Guild as an assassin. As time went on, Yuri yearned to be with her lover once more and set out to find her again. Taking the address that Koko had written in her book, Yuri went about trying to find out where it was exactly.

It took a lot of research and asking around, but Yuri finally managed to find where Broken Crescent Island was. Luckily, there was an Order of the Sacred Fire liaison office within Yoitz. She eventually found it but only after running around town asking everyone else about Koko's home and finding nothing. When she entered the liaison office, she inquired about the location of the island and told the liaison that she had a friend living there. The OSF liaison was more than willing to help, giving her directions to a port that had ships going to and from the island. Yuri was happy to finally find the information she was looking for and went back to her room to prepare for the journey.

Yuri knew it was going to be quite the trip, but she'd manage for the sake of being with Koko once more. She packed her backpack and satchel with everything she'd need and tried to dress for the warmer climate. She didn't like wearing warm-weather clothing, but she'd be miserable if she showed up in a tropical climate wearing her normal attire. Once she was packed, she said goodbye to Monika then left the room to begin her trip.

After a long journey, Yuri managed to find herself at the port on Lesser Broken Crescent Isle. It was late in the afternoon but she barely noticed the hot, humid air and relentless sun; she was just glad to finally be off that boat. She wasn't particularly fond of being on boats. She looked around and moved away from the docks, heading into the market place in search of a more precise location for Koko's home. After asking around a bit, she found out that Koko resided in a house on the beach. One of the shopkeeps even pointed her in the right direction and gave her specifics that would lead her there. Yuri thanked the shopkeep and went on her way, growing more and more excited to finally be with her partner once more.

Yuri followed the shopkeep's instructions and found herself walking along the beach. The heat and bugs began to get to her so she hurried along so she'd be out of the open. Eventually, a beach house came into view so Yuri paused and looked herself over, making sure she was presentable. It was the only house around so she guessed it had to be Koko's. She straightened out her shirt and jacket and made sure her cloak didn't have anything stuck on it. After passing her self-inspection, she trotted up to the door and knocked. She could hardly stay still as her heart pounded fervently. It had been so long since she'd seen Koko and she could barely take the anticipation. She heard movement inside and once the door opened, she pounced on whoever was on the other side.

"Surprise!" said Yuri as she wrapped her arms around the person and gave them a big hug. She held them tight and nuzzled her face against their chest. As she did, though, she felt a face full of fur and opened her eyes, backing away to see that it wasn't Koko whom she had embraced.

"Umm… can I help you?" asked Kia as she stood in the doorway, completely puzzled by Yuri's sudden appearance and warm hug.

Mortified by the mistaken identity, Yuri stepped back and withdrew into the relative safety of her hood, her cheeks reddening from the embarrassment. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I- Is this the Stormare residence by chance?" she asked.

Kia looked at the poor girl and shook off the surprise of what just happened. "Uh, yeah. This is where Koko lives. Can I help you?" she asked.

Yuri was relieved to be at the right place but her lover was still nowhere to be seen. "Is she available? I would really love to see her now," she said.

"She's away on a mission at the moment and won't be back for a couple days. If you'd like, I can relay a message to her once she gets back for you," said Kia.

Disheartened that she had to wait a couple of days to see Koko again after such a long journey, Yuri shook her head and sighed. "No message. I'll just come back later," she said as she began to turn around. She then stopped and turned fully back towards Kia. "Wait a sec. If this is Koko's place and she's not home, then who are you and what are you doing here?" Yuri's demeanor suddenly changed from a meek, shy girl to someone completely different.

Seeing Yuri's fierce eyes and sudden change in attitude, Kia shuddered and gave a prompt response, not being a fan of direct confrontations. "Me!? I'm- My name's Kia. I'm a friend of Koko's…," she said with a shaky smile.

"Just a friend or…?" said Yuri as she reached for the rapier at her side. She was not amused by finding another person in Koko's house and demanded answers.

Kia was completely intimidated by Yuri's aggressiveness and began to cower. "Just a friend! She told me to watch the house while she's gone! Please don't hurt me!" she said, crouching down with her hands over her head.

Yuri exposed her blade momentarily then pushed it back into its sheath at her side, letting out a sigh. She believed what Kia said and knelt down beside her. "Don't worry. I believe you. I'm not going to hurt you…," she said, placing a hand on Kia's back to calm her down. "A friend of Koko's is a friend of mine… so long as you're not lovers or anything like that."

Kia tensed up at first as Yuri got nearer then loosened up after hearing she meant no harm. "Don't worry about that. We're just good friends is all," she said as she stood back up. "So who are you, might I ask?"

"My name's Yuri. Yuri von Lucatile. Her girlfriend," said Yuri as she stood back up as well.

It took a second or two before Kia recognized the name. "Yuri? Oh! Yuri! So you're the one Koko's told me all about," she said as all the tension immediately left her body.

Yuri gave Kia a surprised look. "She told you about me?" she asked.

"Of course! You're the darling who stole her heart. And after she came back from that trip, the only thing she could talk about was you and how -erhem- cute you were," said Kia with a wink.

Hearing that Koko had been talking about her, Yuri began to blush again and grew quiet, a smile appearing on her face as she retreated into her hood. "Is- Is that so…?" she said.

Kia gave a nod. "Yup. You must be quite something to make her act that way. I've known her since childhood and she never acted like that before," she said. Seeing that they were just standing in the doorway, Kia moved out of the way and welcomed Yuri to come in. "But where are my manners? Please, come in. I'm sure Koko would love to see you when she gets back from her mission."

Yuri thanked Kia and followed her inside, taking note of the modest home's interior. "So… you're just watching her house while she's gone?" she asked, taking off her backpack and satchel and placing them on the floor off to the side.

"Yeah. Whenever she leaves for an extended amount of time, she lets me crash here since dorm life isn't all that great," said Kia as she moved into the kitchen. "Hungry? I was actually about to start cooking dinner if you want to join me. I can just cook a little extra for you."

Yuri was feeling a bit peckish after not having eaten anything since breakfast. Her stomach grumbled slightly as she looked to Kia in the kitchen. "If you don't mind me joining, then sure," she said. "Do you… need any help?"

"Nope. Just make yourself at home and leave everything to me," said Kia as she began gathering ingredients from around the kitchen.

While Kia began cooking dinner, Yuri wandered over to the dining table and took a seat there to rest her tired feet. As she waited for Kia to finish preparing their meals, she looked around and took in her surroundings. She also took the opportunity to chat with Kia and find out more about Koko. "So… you've known Koko since you were both kids?" she asked.

Kia was too entranced in her cooking that she almost didn't hear Yuri, but she managed to catch the question and replied. "Yup. Grew up on the island together. Both our parents were friends, so we often found ourselves playing together back then. When we became of age, we started training to become members of the Order," she said while continuing to cook.

Yuri continued to ask Kia a question every now and then as they came to mind. Before she knew it, Kia had already finished cooking and was bringing dishes to the table. "Wow. That smells delicious," she said as she gazed upon their meal.

"Hope you don't mind fish. It's a staple around here with us being on an island and all," said Kia as she placed the dishes on the table. She then retrieved a couple of clean plates and placed one in front of Yuri's spot and one in front of her own. Afterwards, she got each of them a set of tableware and a cup of water to drink before joining Yuri at the table.

"Thanks for the food," said Yuri as she inhaled the wonderful aroma of a home-cooked meal. "And, sorry for being such a jerk earlier when I first got here."

"It's no problem at all," said Kia with a smile, taking her utensils in hand. "And I get it. If I happened to arrive at my boyfriend's house and saw another person there, I'd be a bit unnerved too."

Yuri smiled as well then began cutting into her fish with her knife and fork. During their meal, Yuri and Kia continued to talk about Koko and lightheartedly gossiped about her behind her back. After they were done eating, they cleaned up the dinner table and kitchen before getting ready for bed.

"So, is there anywhere I can sleep or do I have to check in at the hotel in town?" asked Yuri as she looked around the house.

"Sleep? Um, here. You can take the bed in Koko's room," said Kia as she began preparing the bed for Yuri. "I'm sure it's what she'd want. And besides. If she came back and found out that I was still sleeping in her comfy bed while her girlfriend was confined to the couch, I'd never hear the end of it."

"Do you usually sleep in Koko's bed?" asked Yuri who was jealous of Kia.

"Only when I stay here," said Kia as she fixed the bedsheets. When she turned to Yuri, she saw her eyeing her suspiciously. "I mean, not together of course!"

Yuri kept up the stare then gave her a playful smile. "Don't worry. I know," she said as she brought her backpack and satchel into the room.

Kia quickly finished making the arrangements and got up. "Okay. It's all yours now. If you need anything, I'll just be out here," she said, motioning to the couch in the living room.

"Hmm? You're not going to be in the other bedroom?" asked Yuri.

"No. That's Koko's mom's room," said Kia with a somber tone. "It's kinda off limits, so don't go in there."

Yuri gave a solemn nod and thanked Kia again for the hospitality. After that, Kia left Yuri alone and went about doing something else in the house. Meanwhile, Yuri closed the door to the bedroom and looked around. She was finally standing in Koko's bedroom, her inner sanctum and most personal of sanctuaries. The fact nearly eluded her until she spotted several of Koko's personal belongings. She smiled to herself then sat on the bed, taking it all in. After poking around Koko's room, Yuri decided to call it a night. She was exhausted from traveling and needed to get some sleep. She stripped down to her pants and shirt then got into bed, relishing in the fact that it was where Koko usually rested her weary head.

Over the next couple of days, Yuri hung around Koko's house while she waited for her to come back. During the day while Kia was at work, Yuri just remained indoors and did her best to avoid the heat of the sun and the constant threat of bugs. Once in a while, she ventured outside just to get a better look of the ocean or feel the sand below her bare feet. When Kia came back from work, they chatted more together about themselves, Koko, and life in general. Yuri got to know Kia more and quickly became friends with her. She also learned a lot more about Koko and found out things that she hadn't previously talked about.

When the day Koko was expected to come back finally arrived, Yuri waited anxiously and prepared to surprise her. The day dragged on without any signs of Koko showing up yet, and as time went by, Yuri began to pout more and more as the anticipation continued to weigh on her. She laid around in Koko's room trying to stifle her excitement.

It was late in the afternoon and Kia was back from work about to begin making dinner. Yuri was nearly bursting with expectancy as she continued to lay in Koko's bed, waiting for her to finally come through the front door. Suddenly, she heard movement just outside the front of the house. Yuri perked up and hurried to the door of the bedroom, lying in wait for Koko to come in. Kia also heard someone approaching and stopped what she was doing in the kitchen to walk towards the front door.

Just as Kia was about to reach for the door, a knight wearing armor with vibrant red hair came bursting through. She dropped her bag onto the floor and tiredly let out a loud sigh as she embraced Kia.

"Urgh! I'm so tired!" said Koko as she buried her face into Kia's fluffy chest.

Kia was caught off guard by Koko's abrupt entrance and the following embrace, though, she was very much accustomed to Koko using her fur as a guilty pleasure. "Koko! Um, welcome back," she said as she embarrassingly turned her head to see Yuri stepping out from the bedroom.

Yuri just stood there in the doorway, watching with an unamused expression as Koko continued to cuddle against Kia's body. She then glared at Kia who raised her hands up to signify that it wasn't her doing that but instead Koko.

"Um- Koko? You have a visitor…," said Kia as she apprehensively glanced away from Yuri.

"Can't it wait! I've had such a horrible day and need this," said Koko as she held Kia closer and continued to nuzzle her chest.

Kia was completely embarrassed and looked back to Yuri with a shrug. Yuri huffed then audibly cleared her throat to get Koko's attention, crossing her arms over her chest. Hearing someone else in the room, Koko stopped her nuzzling and slowly peeked around Kia. She then saw Yuri standing there with an annoyed look on her face.

"Yuri? Is that you?" asked Koko as she stood up straight, fully in view of Yuri.

Seeing Koko's face clearly and clad in her armor made Yuri blush a bit. Koko looked so charming in her full uniform, Yuri thought. She tried to keep a grip on herself and continued her stoic expression. "What… is this?" she asked, motioning to her and Kia.

Koko was too overwhelmed by seeing Yuri after so long that she didn't hear her. "When did you get in? It's so good to see you!" she said as she began walking towards Yuri.

Yuri began tapping her foot and raised a hand in front of her. "You didn't answer my question," she said, a bit louder than before.

Hearing Yuri's voice, Koko stopped mid-stride and stood still. "Question?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

Kia just stood behind Koko, an amused look on her face as she looked from Yuri back to Koko. Normally, she would've been more panicked and freaked out by the whole situation, but fortunately, she and Yuri talked about this sort of thing potentially happening way before Koko got back home. After Yuri mistook her for Koko when they first met and gave her a big hug, she later told Yuri it reminded her of when Koko usually did it as well. She explained Koko's fondness for touching her fur and that the habit began way back when they were mere toddlers.

When Kia and Koko first met when they were very young, Koko thought Kia was a pet and often petted her as if she were a regular cat or something. Kia didn't think anything of it at the time and thought it was just how people greeted each other. As they grew up together, they realized that what they were doing wasn't normal but they continued it anyway since they were such close friends, but only in private of course. It was a completely platonic show of affection and it never escalated beyond Koko rubbing Kia's arms or nuzzling her face into Kia's chest. Kia didn't mind it in the slightest, so long as Koko never did it in public, and found it somewhat pleasing even.

Since Kia and Yuri talked about all that before, Kia wasn't nearly as worried as she would've been had they not. Seeing Yuri acting so irritated with Koko despite knowing all that, Kia figured she was just messing with her, or at least, that was what she hoped. She then smiled nervously as Yuri looked to her then back to Koko while repeating her question, asking what Koko was doing burying her face into Kia's chest fluff like that.

After hearing Yuri repeat the question, Koko trembled and looked to Kia then to Yuri. "O-Oh… that? That was- That was…," said Koko as she stammered on her words, completely embarrassed by the perceived notion of her and Kia doing inappropriate things.

Yuri was having a blast on the inside at Koko's expense. Seeing her girlfriend choke up like that was always something she had fun causing, but she couldn't let up. This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"That was what? You greeting your new girlfriend? Or was she your girlfriend all along and I was just your- your side pet!" said Yuri, almost losing her composure by bursting out laughing.

"What!? No! No, of course not!" said Koko as she tried to defuse the situation. "Look. This is all one big misunderstanding. Okay? Please, it's not what it looks like." Koko was visibly distraught while trying her best to prove her innocence to Yuri.

Kia was getting a bit worried that things might get out of hand and motioned for Yuri to talk with her in private. Yuri acknowledged and had Koko sit at the dinner table with her hands on the table, not allowing her to move from the spot until they got back. Yuri and Kia then went into Koko's bedroom and closed the door.

"What's up?" asked Yuri, turning to Kia as she dropped the angry-girlfriend routine.

"Okay, I know you're just poking some fun at Koko, but don't you think she's had enough?" asked Kia with a concerned look on her face.

"Hmm? I have no idea what you're talking about," said Yuri as she smiled mischievously.

Kia let out a tired sigh. "Look. I know she's your girlfriend and all, but Koko's my friend too and I don't like seeing her so bothered and flustered. Besides, she said she was having a bad day so can you let her off the hook already?" she asked.

Thinking it over and taking Kia's concern into consideration, Yuri relented and gave a nod. "All right. I'll cut my fun a bit short. But Koko still owes me for this," said Yuri.

Kia smiled as well. "Do what you must. Just don't be too hard on her, okay?" she said.

"No promises," said Yuri as she got back into character. She then opened the door and followed Kia out back into the main room.

Seeing the two suddenly reappear, Koko perked back up and remained on alert. She was still sitting at the dinner table with her hands flat on the tabletop. "Is- everything all right?" she asked as she watched Yuri and Kia make their way back over to her.

Yuri stopped in front of Koko and pointed to her. "You and I need to have a little chat, so up you go and into the bedroom," she said, then pointing to Koko's bedroom.

After Koko turned to Kia with a worried look on her face, Kia just gave her a nonchalant shrug. "I'll just… cook dinner in the meantime," said Kia as she went back into the kitchen with an uneasy smile on her face.

Koko then gulped nervously and got up from her seat, walking towards her bedroom. "Yuri, please, I can explain everything," she said as she was herded into the bedroom by Yuri.

As Koko stood in the middle of the room facing her, Yuri followed her in and closed the door behind her. "Doff your armor. Now," she said.

Koko just stood there, growing more confused by the second. "You want me… to doff my armor?" she asked.

"Did I stutter?" asked Yuri as she cocked her head slightly to the side, a stoic expression plastered on her face. "And do it nice and slow so we can… talk."

Koko did as she was instructed and began removing her armor piece by piece. Yuri eagerly watched while keeping up the act but she was beginning to lose her poise. Koko was too busy doffing her armor to see Yuri slightly bite her lip in anticipation. After getting her bracers off, Koko moved on to removing her breastplate and pauldrons.

"So, about what happened…," said Koko as she undid her pauldrons and put them on the desk.

Yuri shook her head. "No no. Not yet. Turn around, if you will," she said, motioning with her hand for Koko to turn.

Anxious, Koko turned around so that her back was to Yuri. She then continued doffing her armor, moving on to her breastplate. She carefully undid the straps and finally removed it from her torso. As soon as she placed the piece of armor on the back of her chair, she felt someone come up behind her and embrace her in a hug.

Yuri held Koko close, pressing the side of her face against Koko's back. Her hands were wrapped around Koko's waist, clutching Koko's midsection in a loving fashion. "I'm sorry," she said simply as she nuzzled her cheek against Koko.

Koko was caught off guard by everything and froze up. "Wh- What?" she asked.

Yuri continued to cuddle Koko from behind. "I know Kia isn't your girlfriend and I know what you were doing wasn't romantic; she told me all about it when I first arrived here a few days ago," said Yuri. "It was just too good an opportunity to not mess with you for a bit. I'm sorry."

Upon hearing Yuri's declaration of guilt, Koko was a tad annoyed with her for causing her to worry so much. She broke away from Yuri's grasp and turned around to see her face-to-face. When she finally saw Yuri, she had a remorseful expression on her face which made Koko roll her eyes. She immediately forgave Yuri and held out her arms, inviting her back in for a hug. Seeing Koko's invitation, Yuri rushed into her arms, her eyes nearly tearing up.

Koko held her close and smiled, finally reunited with her lover. "If it's all right with you, I'd very much appreciate it if you didn't do this kind of thing anymore. I don't think my frail heart can take any more of that kind of abuse," she said.

Yuri chuckled, holding Koko close once more. "Okay… only if you promise not to make me jealous anymore by engaging in intimate acts with other people," said Yuri.

Hearing Yuri's request, Koko smirked and rubbed Yuri's back. "That's fair. I promise," she said.

After a brief moment together, Yuri looked Koko in the eye then kissed her on the lips, caressing her body with her hands. Koko kissed her back, holding her partner close in her arms. Not having seen Koko in so long, Yuri completely let herself go and was more aggressive in her kissing and fondling. She let her hands wander all over Koko's backside, even passing and lingering on her rear end for a bit. She then began to get tired of standing and began maneuvering Koko backwards over to the bed. Koko followed Yuri's lead and allowed herself to be guided over to the bed without breaking their kiss. Once they were in position, Yuri continued to guide Koko's body and got her on top of the bed.

Koko's heart raced as she too had been yearning for Yuri's affection after having been away from her for so long. She matched Yuri's ferocity in their kissing and soon found herself lying on her back with Yuri positioned over her. The positions were reversed from their last make-out session as Yuri then straddled Koko's waist.

After a while, Kia came by the bedroom to see if Koko and Yuri were okay. She pressed her ear against the door to see if she could hear anything, but little did she know was that the two lovebirds were engaged in a heavy make-out session. Kia blushed at the discovery and quietly moved away from the door, but suddenly, she had a devious idea and decided to have some fun of her own. She knocked on the door and loudly said, "Dinner's ready!" She then snickered and returned to the kitchen to bring everything to the dinner table.

Inside the bedroom, Yuri and Koko were startled by the sudden interruption and ceased their kissing. They just looked at each other, panting slightly from the exhilarating experience. They then smiled and decided not to keep Kia waiting, getting up off the bed to join her for some dinner. Besides, they had all night to continue where they had left off. Before heading back out into the main part of the house, Koko finished doffing her armor and removed her belt, shin guards, and boots. All she had on then were her shirt, pants, and some slip-on shoes. Yuri made sure she was tidy as well and followed Koko out of the room.

Back in the dining area and kitchen, Kia had already set the table and brought the food over to it. She was sitting in one of the seats and watched as Yuri and Koko made their way over to her. "Did you two hash everything out and… kiss and make up, as it were?" asked Kia with a wily snicker.

Koko gave her a glare as she sat down at the table. "How long were you listening in on us?" she asked.

"Couldn't have been more than a few seconds. I only came by to let you know that the food was ready," said Kia. "But don't worry. Once dinner is over, I'll grab my things and leave you two to- you know, catch up on things."

After the three of them settled in at the dinner table, they began to dig in to their meals. Kia had prepared another fish dish which was cooked to perfection and complimented by a couple side dishes. Over the course of the dinner, Kia, Koko, and Yuri talked amongst themselves about all sorts of topics. During their chat, Yuri told Koko about her arrival at the island and the few days she spent there along with Kia. Once dinner was over, Kia helped them clean everything up then took her leave, heading back to the dorms.

It was late in the evening and Yuri and Koko finally found themselves alone inside the house. Koko got changed into more casual clothes, wearing a basic shirt, pants, and slip-on shoes. After freshening up after a long day, Koko went over to her room to find Yuri waiting eagerly on her bed, lying in a seductive pose. As she entered the room, Koko smiled at the sight of Yuri wearing only her pants and shirt as well, closing the door behind her.

"So… where were we?" asked Yuri with a promiscuous expression, gesturing for Koko to come over to her with her finger.

Koko hurried over and crawled onto bed with her, moving over her as their gazes met. "Yes, do refresh my memory," she said as she moved in closer to Yuri, propping herself up with her arms.

Yuri just smiled at her then wrapped her arms around Koko's neck, bringing her in close for a kiss. Koko kissed her back and laid on top of her, letting all her passion out as they locked lips and groped each other. The two of them continued to show each other affection in many different ways, spending the better part of the night in each other's loving presence.