Chapter 8: This Dreary Night Ends

Yura and Saigo were hiding under a bridge. They were sitting down, eating the shared pretzel while waiting for the heavy rain to subside. Sounds of the pitter-patter raindrops and vehicles rolling over the bridge masked their chewing.

"Are pretzels supposed to be this hard?" Yura asked with her mouth full of the pretzel.

"Well, I know some are soft while some are as hard as these. It's a preference, really. I don't really mind since I have strong jaws and teeth that shed whenever I lose them."

"Lucky you."

Saigo laughed, admiring how Yura was sitting between his legs, leaning into him. He wanted nothing more than to hold her, taking in her scent and her chatter which was refreshing than the dead silence he experienced all his life.

"Saigo?"

"Hmm?"

Yura turned her head and gaze up at his yellow eyes. "I'm sorry you got rejected during your job interviews. I hope I'm not a burden to you since you are focusing on getting work."

Saigo just sighed, holding Yura close. "Shit happens, Yura. I can't do shit right, I can't learn my lesson. That's what I get for selling myself for money to pay off debts that I am barely weaving together. Luckily I paid off my previous one but I don't know how long until I barely have anything. But it doesn't mean that you're a burden or affecting me with what I do."

Yura hides her face with her long hair. She hasn't said anything except listen to his vent. Her respond was to squeeze his hand or rests her head on his chest. Saigo's heart started to thump and he felt heated up as if he were on a heating rock.

"Say Yura," Saigo decided to change the subject, tail curled. "What's the underground like for you? Before you ran away?"

The young woman straightened her back like a spooked herbivore. Saigo can't really understand humans since they were not a subject to be taught in schools for some reasons. He has heard about them but to be with one up close and he enjoyed it.

"Well, you don't have to talk about it!" Saigo waved it off, panicking about whether or not she was offended by it.

"No, you brought it up. So I guess I owe you an explanation on how I came about before meeting you," Yura laughed dryly. "We humans live in the undergrounds away from you animals. We tend to avoid animals that live there such as the moles and reptiles, no offence."

"None taken," he assured her with a sharp-tooth grin.

"We don't have fangs, claws or even tails so we rely on our brains and our skills to survive. We even have our own language but ever since I ran away, I have almost forgotten my own language since I've never met another human since I came up. Most of them never return underground so we assumed they are either in hiding like me, killed or even devoured..."

Yura shuddered at the thought. Saigo doesn't blame her since she herself almost became dinner at the Black Market. He figured she has to learn his language and all in order to survive. As a result, she has to assimilate into this dangerous society.

"You're not going to be devoured. Not when I am here," Saigo huffed. As if on cue, the rain finally subsided, signalling the both of them to get back before anyone spots them.

...

In Saigo's apartment, both of them decided to hang their wet clothes onto the wooden chairs, below the whirling ceiling fan. Luckily, the both of them were in their undergarments. Yura had to look away because despite all the weird-looking tattoos on him, she found his body to be very attractive.

According to the caiman, it's been a long time since he's ever seen any female in her undergarments. Of course during his youth, he and the guys used to peep at the girl's dorm but that was when he was an idiot. Hell, he's an even bigger idiot to lose jobs, sell himself to get cash and go into more debts.

He hated the fact that the next day, it was going to be another job hunt. Online or not, he knew damn well that he needs to support himself or else he will get evicted from his own home and there's no way in hell he is going to be skinned alive for money.

"Saigo?"

His thoughts were interrupted by the young woman's call. "Yes, Yura?"

"Which part of you did you sell?"

This was something he dreaded to tell anyone! Then again, she was the first who pointed out his bloody maw when he extracted his teeth to be pawned. Since she has given her side of her story, Saigo thinks it's fair to share a bit of his.

"My penis," he answered quietly, ashamed to tell such a thing to a woman no less. "Without any anaesthetic while I was chained up. Extracting my teeth for extra cash was less painful than that. At least my teeth can grow back in a few weeks."

Yura covered her mouth, appalled by what she's hearing. "Shit...Saigo, I'm so sorry you had to go through with that. No animal has to go through with that!"

"It's just life, Yura."

But the woman shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "I..I didn't know, Saigo. How selfish of me of not asking about it because I thought it would be too personal and all and-"

She was interrupted with a clawed finger upon her lips.

"Yura, it's okay. Please stop crying. It's not going to solve anything if you cry."

The human woman sucked back a breath and wrapped her arms around his neck. Instinctively, Saigo wrapped his arms around her waist. His face darkened at the sudden soft contact in contrast with his hard-shelled scales.

There was that feeling that made his chest ache.

"Yura, can I ask you something?"

The said human wiped her tears. "Sure. What is it?"

"Have you ever kissed someone?"

The question was so sudden, so out of the blue it made Yura cover her face with her long hair out of embarrassment. Saigo also wanted to clamp his jaws shut from asking such a question. Maybe it's because...it's because...

"No," Yura admitted quietly. "I've seen how you animals do it. How about you?"

"Heh, can't say I have."

There was a pregnant pause before Yura ran her hand across his body, tracing every word that was marked on him. Saigo closed his eyes, shuddering at the feeling. He felt her soft hand finally landing on his snout.

"Do you...do you want to try and kiss?"

Now it was the caiman's turn to be nervous. He was stuttering something incoherently but Yura bet him to it by placing a kiss directly on his maw, where she presumed his lips would be. It was cold yet so warm. Saigo was surprised but once she parted, he decided to snap up the opportunity by kissing her back.

The sounds of the ceiling fan was muted compared to the sounds of the both of them kissing. Soft ones at first but then it became a long one that made Saigo shifted his body so that they are both lying on their sides on the sofa.

"Wow," she breathed, her face was red which Saigo thought was cute. The caiman was too breathless to speak. The feeling in his chest was becoming intense yet at eased. He placed her hand on his chest.

"Yura," he rumbled softly, unable to contain the excitement in his tone. "Can you feel this? Can you feel it too?"

"Oh god, yes but..."

"I have not felt this way in years but I will not dishonour you, Yura. If you do not want this, say so and I'll stop now."

"Oh, Saigo," she gently kissed him, caressing his face.

She nodded and he graced her with the biggest smile she has ever seen on the caiman's face.

"Then, let's try something to counter this dreary night."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Less talking more kissing, Saigo."

Saigo chuckled. "As you command~"

Past the point of no return, no backward glances for these two!

Don't worry, think of the next chapter as having lemon meringue pie with some honey lemon tea