CHAPTER EIGHT

Yumi awoke the next morning to the sun peeking in over the headboard and the birds singing outside of the window. She sat up in bed and looked around the room, seeing her dress lying on the floor next to Odd's clothes. When she looked down at herself, she remembered last night and the sweet bliss of the ending. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes, reminiscing the few hours before they went to bed and then opened them, looking at Odd who was still sleeping soundly.

Yumi lay back down and curled close to Odd, kissing his neck and nibbling his earlobe a bit. Her arms found their way around his body as she buried her face in his back and closed he eyes again, smiling. When she lifted her head away from his back, Odd moved and turned to face her. As soon as he saw her happy expression, he smiled, too, and kissed her. She kissed him and held it for as long as she could.

"Good morning, beautiful," Odd said, his voice raspy with the morning.

"Hey, you," Yumi replied with a grin.

Yumi ran her fingers through her hair, trying to untangle the knots that had formed while she had slept. As she was doing so, Odd grabbed her wrist and pulled her on top of him, smiling and staring at her. She smiled back and kissed him gently.

"There's no need to do that. You're beautiful no matter how you look," Odd told her as soon as the kiss was over.

"It's just a habit," Yumi replied, laughing a bit.

Odd wrapped his arms around her and held her to him, closing his eyes. Yumi laid her head on his chest and listened to his slow heartbeat. A smile tugged on her mouth, feeling Odd's hot breath reach the top of her head.

Her instincts were right, she was in love with Odd and she regretted ever turning Odd down in high school. The only reason she had was because he was immature and didn't know when to stop talking. Ever since she graduated, she felt a sudden sadness rise in her chest as she left the school and Odd and went on with her life. She didn't feel that same way about Ulrich but she thought it only because she knew she would always see Ulrich but no longer Odd.

Obviously Yumi's feelings were wrong because ever since she had come here, that sadness left and she felt nothing for leaving Ulrich. She was so sure that she and Odd were meant to be and that her and Ulrich never were.

Yumi felt like a puppy that was placed in the hands of the wrong owner and ran away in search of the one she was meant to have. And she finally found the one only months ago although it felt like a lifetime ago when she first realized her true feelings. As of now she was happy she stepped up and let what happened last night happen. She was finally letting her old self come out again and now she wasn't so fearful about what would, or could, happen.

After the court sends those papers out and Ulrich signs them, Yumi and Odd were free to get married and live together the rest of their lives without worry of Ulrich barging into it. They would be able to live in harmony within a month if Ulrich follows through with no troubles or delays.

Odd stirred and Yumi looked at him, him looking at her. She could tell that his eyes were asking her something but his heart was afraid of the answer. Yumi couldn't place the question, so she stared back at him until he was ready to speak it. She waited there for a long moment, staring at him with stray answers running around in her mind until he finally spoke.

"Do you think we moved too soon into an engagement?" Odd asked her with regret sounding clearly in each word he spoke.

Yumi shook her head and moved up so his and her faces were about an inch apart. A smile played across her face as she traced his hair with a finger while staring into his endless eyes.

"No," Yumi replied quickly, placing her finger to his lips before he could start speaking. "You think it's so soon because you and Cadence waited a year before finally becoming engaged. When you look at the positive side, we've known each other longer than you and her and we get along better than you and her."

Yumi stopped and looked into his eyes, seeing his question turn into pure remorse before she said something else.

"I ran from Ulrich to find you. As soon as I was on my way to you, I felt the heartache that suppressed me lift away bit by bit the closer I got to you. When you almost made me go to that home, I nearly died. I didn't know how to explain the feeling at first until I realized that it was you that I couldn't stand being without. For four years after I graduated and left you and Aelita to go and start the rest of my life, I felt a heavy pain fall upon me as I drove away and left you. At first I thought it was because I was leaving all of my friends and that I would get over it but I didn't. It didn't leave until I saw you again," Yumi finished, removing her finger from Odd's lips.

"Wow," Odd managed, tripping over every wrong word he could possibly say. "That was…I never…wow."

Yumi laughed and kissed his cheek, trying to mold herself to be a part of him like last night. Odd's hands wove around her, his fingers tracing along her back in abstract motions. He kissed her forehead, then the top of her head, to her cheek, then her nose, and finally, her lips. Yumi kissed him back and held it for as long as she could before they both needed air.

When Odd pulled away from the kiss, he stared at Yumi and felt his heart beat faster. She had changed so much in the past few months that it was hard to believe that this was the old Yumi. This was the way he had pictured it if Yumi never chose Ulrich.

"I think we should get up and get ready for the day. You have to be at work soon," Yumi said, placing a finger back to his lips again.

"Luckily I get off early tonight. So I can come home and please you some more," Odd said back, laughing a bit while tickling her and kissing her again. "So I'll be seeing you at two this afternoon."

Yumi smiled and kissed him again, then getting up off of him to allow him to get up as well. Once up, Odd hugged her and went to his dresser to get a pair of pants, and then the closet to get the rest of his uniform. Yumi smiled as he went into the bathroom and she left the bedroom to go down to the kitchen and start making something to eat.

She first went to the refrigerator and looked around on the shelves and other compartments. Her eyes fell on the dozen or so eggs on the bottom shelf and so she grabbed that and the gallon of orange juice. She took a frying pan and placed it on the electric stove, turning it on and taking a slice of butter from the pale container to her right. She scraped the butter off the butter knife and used a spatula to spread it on the bottom of the pan.

Yumi set to work making breakfast while scenes from last night played over and over in her mind. She could remember it all in distinct detail, enough so she could tell someone, if only she had someone to tell other than Odd. If he wasn't there it would be a completely different story. Smiles played across her face every time she caught glimpses of the ring that was on her finger, the sunlight catching the diamond and sending glares across the walls and counters.

Odd must have had the ring polished to perfection before picking it up because any other ring would have been duller or less extravagant, but this little extra thing made it all the more precious.

Yumi hoped she would never have to take it off unless she knew she had to.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Odd came up behind her and dipped her backwards, kissing her lightly as his wet hair tickled her face, making her smile ceaselessly. He smiled back and let her back up before taking a seat at the table and waiting for her. When she sat down with only his food, Odd looked at her questioningly.

"I'll be eating after you leave. I just want to make sure that you're ready for work," Yumi explained as soon as she picked out the question roaming in his eyes like a hungry lion waiting for his dinner to come lurking in the fields.

"I hope so. I don't want you to become anorexic on me," Odd said jokingly.

Yumi nodded and took of piece of the bread Odd had grabbed to wipe up any egg yolk that strayed away from the rest of the egg. She ate it quietly and tried not to smile but it didn't work.

They were eating in peace when they heard an angry pounding at the front door. Curious, yet cautious, Odd took out a gun from the holder at his waist and got up with Yumi who was following directly behind him. By the time they got to the front door, they had already identified Ulrich's bulking form behind the glass. Behind him were two more people that they couldn't make out.

Ulrich got the door open and walked in, looking at Odd before spotting Yumi who was trying to shrink down behind Odd in hopes of becoming invisible.

"So you are here you rotten bitch," Ulrich growled, his anger clearly visible.

"How the hell did you find us here and why are you here?" Odd asked fiercely in return, holding his gun up to Ulrich.

"I'm here to get what's mine," Ulrich replied simply.

"Now answer my other question. How in the hell did you find us?" Odd asked again.

"I had a little help from a friend of yours," Ulrich replied in return.

Ulrich snapped his fingers and the guy behind him came in. He over-towered Ulrich by a fee feet and had shoulder length blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and fair skin. His facial features resembled those of a bear but the rest of his body was extremely skinny except for his arms and legs which were built bigger. Overall he resembled a deformed animal and looked like he could cause some damage.

"Freak," Yumi piped behind Odd.

"What?" Odd asked her, never taking his eyes off of the giant.

"They call him Freak. He's one of Ulrich's friends who came over every week to terrorize me when Ulrich wasn't home," she replied, closing her eyes and burying her face in Odd's shirt.

Odd glared at Freak with such hostility that it only made the giant smile with amusement. While Odd was glaring at the two, Freak pulled someone into view and it took Odd a while to figure out who it was.

"Terry," Odd gasped at the sight of his battered friend.

Terry was almost as tall as Freak with light brown hair that was caked in blood. His uniform was tattered and covered in dust and blood, one eye was swollen shut, the left side of his mouth was swollen as well, and his lips were cut. The only thing that looked remotely uninjured was one big, almond brown eye but even that was bloodshot.

"I'm sorry Odd. I tried to keep it in but the pain was too unbearable. Please forgive me," Terry stuttered, hoping that the giant holding him would let him go.

"It's OK Terry," Odd said in return, looking Terry over from a distance.

Any man who could hold up so much beating before cracking was an honorable cop and deserved as much respect as anyone, even if they were a rookie that was just beginning.

"OK cut the sissy bullshit already. I don't need to sit in the middle of apologies, alright? We all knew that you couldn't hide Yumi forever so just hand her over and we'll leave you alive," Ulrich cut in, pushing Terry out of Freak's grip and sending him flying to the floor.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to hand her back over to you? The one she ran away from? She told me everything you did to her and now you expect me to just give the women I love away?" Odd questioned, sounding more confident then he felt.

"If you know what's good for you then you will," Ulrich stated clearly and simply.

"Well you're not getting her. Not now, not ever. I love her more than you ever did," Odd shot back.

"Who could ever love that bitch? She's a worthless piece of shit and she'll never make you happy, so just hand her over," Ulrich said sternly.

"She does make me happy and I'm not giving her back over to you so would you and your freak show of a friend leave my property now?" Odd said.

Ulrich nodded and looked at Freak.

"We gave him fair enough warning. Let's go," Ulrich said, turning to leave, Freak directly behind him.

Once they were gone, Odd lowered his weapon and looked over at Terry who was still on the ground.

"Are you OK?" Odd asked, looking him over.

"Yeah," Terry replied, wincing at the pain of trying to get up. "Yeah I think I'll be fine after a few weeks."

"Come and sit for a while," Odd offered.

"No. I'll be fine. I got to get back to my wife before she worries about me," Terry replied, turning to the front door after standing up.

"Alright but take care. Look out for that son of a bitch," Odd informed Terry.

"I will man," Terry replied, rubbing his neck, looking out the door and then back at Odd. "Again I'm sorry about ratting Yumi and you to Ulrich. I was locked up in that giant's basement for two days. No food, no hospitality. They came down every hour to see if I changed my mind and whenever I said no, they did something more to me. I couldn't take it anymore so I caved."

"Don't worry about it. You tried your best. I just need to worry about Yumi more at this point now that he knows where we are."

"I'll try and do whatever I can to help you guys out. But I better be getting home. I'll see you around."

"You, too."

Odd and Terry shook hands before Terry limped out the front door. Odd closed the door and turned to Yumi who was now leaning against the wall for support.

"This is where everything starts going downhill isn't it?" Yumi asked in a soft tone that was barely audible.

"No," Odd replied almost instantly, walking up to Yumi and holding her close to him. "No, this is not when everything goes downhill. I've waited this long for you and I'm not going to let it go now. Not now and not ever."

Yumi looked up into Odd's eyes and saw that they were as sincere as when he swore he would never hurt her, but along with sincerity was a tint of fright. She knew he was trying to mask it but it was still recognizable.

"Yumi, I love you with all of my heart and if Ulrich wants a fight then I'll sure as hell fight for you because I'm not losing you twice in a lifetime. I promise you that," Odd said after a while.

"I love you too, Odd," Yumi said back, not sure of what else to say to him.

Odd bent down and kissed her, feeling Yumi kiss him back as soon as his lips touched hers.