Chapter Twelve - Vortex

- Eli's POV -

I woke up today feeling pretty happy, I'll be helping Yuri make decorations for the school's charity event this week. I hate to leave Nat here by her all by her lonesome with such a hefty task, but I need to make sure Yuri doesn't feel neglected. Besides, I'm sure Nat would like me out of the house for a bit.

I'm still mad about somebody stealing my pen. That pen was the best. Sayori gave it to me when I joined the literature club, so I've only had about a month. I miss that pen.

I walk into my kitchen where Natsuki is working like a maniac on several batches of various sweets.

Me:"Well I'm off to Yuri's house. You gonna be able to hold down the fort till' I get back?" I say with a light tone.

Natsuki:"Yeah." She says without looking at me.

Me:"You alright?"

Natsuki:"Yep. Just busy."

Me:"You're not, mad that I'm helping Yuri instead are ya?"

Natsuki:"Nope. That's fine."

Me:"...Okay. I gotta go. Bye."

Natsuki:"Bye."

I start to walk off, then I feel bad, so I turn back around, walk up behind her, and kiss the top of her head. I run for the door as she protests.

Natsuki:"H-hey! You cant just-" I close my front door and get into my car. I'll pay for that later but hey, it was worth it.

Pretty soon I arrive at Yuri's house, she lives a little farther from me than Monika. I get out of my car and knock on the door. Yuri opens the door with a sweet smile on her face.

Yuri:"Ah, welcome Eli! Please, come in."

I nod and walk in, as soon as I enter a feeling of peace washes over me. The air smells of a soft Jasmine, I always forget how Yuri is into aromatherapy. I also smell some kind of food. I look over to her dining room table and see a platter of croissant cucumber sandwiches aranged in a spiral pattern. Alongside the sandwiches are a number of drinks, including coffee.

Yuri:"Oh! Please help yourself to anything you'd like."

Me:"Wow...Thanks, you sure know how to make a guy feel welcome." I walk over, take a sandwich and pour a cup of coffee.

Yuri:"O-oh, you're quite welcome. I thought we might be working for a while so I made snacks."

Me:"Oh yeah, I guess we should get to work huh?"

Yuri:"Ah, Yes I suppose we should. Come with me." I grab my coffee and follow Yuri upstairs. She opens the door to her bedroom.

We walk in and I notice something that I wasn't quite expecting. An entire wall of various knives, from simple to elegent, large to small. Every kind of knife you can think of. It's actually kind of intimidating.

Me:"Wow...That's alot of knives."

Yuri:"Y-yes. I collect them, as you know. I love knives. There's something about them that's just...beautiful."

Me:"Uh, okay. Which one's your favorite?"

Yuri walks over to the wall and removes a strange looking curved knife with a purple blade.

Yuri:"This one. My karambit. It was one the first knives I bought when I first started collecting."

Me:"Can I hold it?" I ask like a little kid asking a cop if he can hold his gun.

Yuri:"Of course. Here you are." She passes the knife to me. It's light, but it seems very deadly. "Um, you're um, h-holding it wrong."

Me:"Huh?" She takes the knife and shows me how to hold it, upside down with her index finger put through the hole on the end. She's very familiar with it.

Yuri:"You see, this way, you can slash with it, it's very much a close quarters weapon. It's most often used to sever the opponets jugular veins." She demonstrates a few attacks. I never realized how scary Yuri can be.

She hands me the knife again. I hold it correctly this time, curious as to how sharp it it, I lightly run the tip of my finger along the blade.

Me:"Ah! D*mn!" I drop the knife on the floor.

Yuri:"E-Eli! Why did you do that?!"

Me:"Sorry. I don't think I should be trusted with sharp objects anymor-"

Yuri suddenly grabs my hand and puts my finger in mouth. I feel her tounge curl around it. Why in God's name does she keep doing this? What divine entity did I piss off? I'm sorry Odin. Forgive me Zeus. I didn't mean it Budda.

I stare at her like she's bat-sh*t insane. She seems to notice and slowly removes my finger from her mouth. I wipe it on my jeans.

Yuri:"You're blood tastes very healthy...Uh, I mean, I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me! Are you okay?"

Me:"U-um, yeah, I'm fine, it uh, stopped bleeding..."

Now I don't believe in vampires...But I think Yuri might very well be one. That was weird. Really, really weird. I need to appoligize to Nat for the that time I licked icing off her finger. Now I know how she felt. I never want to put another human being through that.

Yuri:"I-I'll go get you a band-aid." She quickly walks out of the room.

I pull my jacket off. It's suddenly really hot in here. As I lay it on the back of her desk chair, I notice something on her desk.

Me:"What!?"

I snatch my pen off her desk. Why does Yuri have my pen? And why is it sticky? Ugh, she must've spilled something on it. I quickly throw it in my bag before she gets back. Nat probably put her up to it. These girls can get away with alot of things, including putting my body parts in their mouths...That came out wrong. But messing with a man's pen, now that's just evil. I'll figure out a way to get them back for this.

Yuri comes back in with a band-aid and some alcohol. She takes my hand and applies the said alcohol before applying the band-aid.

Yuri:"There. All done."

Me:"T-thanks. I appreciate it."

Yuri:"No problem. Just, perhaps you shouldn't the sharpness of a blade on your skin?" She says as she wipes the knife with a small cloth and places it back on her wall of death.

Me:"Heh, duely noted." I decide to simply act as though the, event a moment ago didn't happen. We continue with our evening.

Yuri:"Alright, since the charity we're funding is in support of the disabled, I was thinking we could make little wheelchairs, and put tape on the ground to have our area look like a parking spot."

Me:"That's really creative. I like it." Yuri smiles shyly.

Yuri:"T-thanks, I wanted our booth to stand out from the rest. To really draw people in." I love it when she gets excited, she's really passionate about this sort of thing.

Me:"Sounds like a plan Captain. Let's do it."

For the next two hours, Yuri and I make and paint little wheelchairs made from popsicle sticks. Her's look significantly better than mine, but they'll pass. We make and decorate a large banner and several standing signs. I try to make conversation.

Me:"Y'know, I almost stabbed a guy once."

Yuri:"Really? When?."

Me:"Back when I used to mug folk. Guy wouldn't hand over his wallet, so I pulled a knife and said I'd kill him. I still regret those things."

Yuri:"It's okay Eli, I'm sure Cthuluhu won't judge you too harshly."

Me:"What!?"

Yuri:"What?" Okaaaaaaay...

We finish making our decor. Yuri sets her paint and art supplies aside, we leave our wheelchairs and signs to dry. She come up to me with a caring look in her eyes.

Yuri:"How have you been Eli?" I know what she means, she wants to know if I've had a hard time about Sayori.

Me:"I've been pretty good actually. Now that Nat's okay and is stayimg with me again, I've felt really good."

Yuri:"O-oh, that's wonderful. No more, racoon problems, I trust?"

Me:"Heh...No, just like I promised."

Yuri:"Fantastic. I told you things would get better. It's a slow process, but you're on your way."

Me:"Yeah...And Nat's been a big help. I hated to have to leave her alone with such a huge task, but I'm glad to be here."

Yuri suddenly pushes me against the wall.

Yuri:"You shouldn't worry about Natsuki so much Eli. She's a big girl...Mostly."

She places her hand on my chest and rubs up and down.

Me:"Y-Yuri?"

Yuri:"Mmm...You're in excelent shape Eli...I bet you have lots of, stamina."

Me:"You're acting really weird. What's gotten into you Yuri?."

Yuri:"You have Eli, for quite some time now. I ask you to read with me just so I can breath the same air as you. So I can feel your body heat mix with mine. I want you Eli. So much. And here you are..."

Me:"I-I, what? How-"

Yuri:"*muffled* Mmm~"

She cuts me off by pulling me into an intense kiss...I can still taste my own blood in her mouth. A part of me wants to continue, but the other part, the other part can't let that happen.

I gently, but firmly push her away. I take a second to come back to earth.

Yuri:"What's wrong Eli? D-did I do something wrong?"

Me:"N-no! Well, yes. Ah! I, I just can't do this. I'm sorry, I love Natsuki! I can't do this. I have to go." I open the bedroom door and quickly make my out to my car. Yuri runs after me.

Yuri:"Eli wait! I'm sorry! D-don't leave. Please?"

Me:"I'm sorry, I can't stay, I'll, text or call or something. We'll talk this all out later. I've gotta go home right now."

I see tears start to fall down Yuri's face. She probably thinks she's scared me away and we can't be friends anymore or something crazy like that. I'll make sure I fix that later. I need to talk to Nat right now. I start up my car and burn out of her driveway.

Yuri's POV -

I watch him peel out of my driveway. Great. I freaked him out. I've scared him. He'll never want to speak to me again. God! I knew Natsuki loves him! I knew that! Why did I think this was okay!? I'm a horrible friend...I doesn't deserve someone like Eli.

I want him so bad though. I really do. I need him...But I can't have him. He would never want someone as weird as me anyway...The quiet lunatic who collects knives and cuts herself. I'm pathetic...

I sit on my couch and cry for a little bit, now I know how Monika felt when Natsuki told her she loves Eli. But I deserve it. Trying to seduce the man my best friend is in love with? How disgracful...I wipe my tears and head upstairs to my bedroom.

I walk to my desk to get I something I notice is missing.

Me:"D*mmit he took the pen!"

(End of Chapter Twelve)

Author's Note: Oooh, caliente! Things got a little spicy there for a second huh? No worries though folks. No Mature content in my stories...Or, story...Get as close to the line as you can without crossing it. That's my motto!

Sayori:"Poor Eli, getting c*ck-blocked by the author."

A/U:"Sayori! Don't be so crass! Besides, he stopped her because he loves Natsuki."

Sayori:"I know! And that's sweet and all, but he could've at least found out if the carpet matches the dra-"

A/U:"For the love of God. Please don't finish that sentance."

Sayori:"Ugh...Fine. You're too sensitive."