Chapter 16: Hanging By a Phone

"I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot! I'm an idiot?"

Saigo was chanting in front of a dirty mirror in his bathroom. He had not committed a crime unless it was selling his organs to the Black Market. But he still couldn't understand why he had locked himself into the bathroom when Yura was entertaining their guests alone.

"I'm really am worthless," he sighed to himself, disgusted at the caiman staring back at him in the mirror. Yellow eyes welled up with tears, his jaws were almost toothless while the permanent labels across his body was taunting him. Saigo wondered how a crocodilian species like him could be so pathetic?

Taking a deep stare into his reflection, he noticed those yellow eyes were struggling to blink the tears away. It was a test to see if he was willing to go through another day in his miserable life or just end it here with a broken glass that fell off the mirror?

Life was full of temptations and yet all the choices seemed lovely at a certain angle...

"Saigo?" a muffled voice called from the door. He made no attempts to move, hoping that he could have some time alone. A knock was heard on the other side. "Are you okay? Do you want some time alone?"

No reply.

"Saigo? Knock once for 'yes', twice for 'no'."

He gazed back at the mirror to see a slimy, green, undeserving monster who regarded him with disgust through those yellow eyes. Eyes that have been sick of everything. Every choice, every experience, every rules that laid onto his shoulders.

A small sigh was heard from outside. The knocking slowly stopped to a halt. Has she given up on him? Will he ever face her again? Will he-

"I have to take care of something!" he announced through the door. He hoped those two guests have left since he doesn't want to feel guilty for staying in his bathroom for the rest of the evening. He decided to have another staring contest with the monster on the opposite side of his mirror.

He wanted that creature to die.

The more he stared at it, it stared back with equal hate and disgust. With a deep breath, Saigo raised a fist and began punching the mirror. He didn't care that the others could hear the shattering glass from outside. He wanted to punch the creature until he disappears.

"Saigo, please open up!" Yura's voice called from outside, rapping on the door insistently. "I heard the glass. If you're not opening the door, I'm picking the lock!"

The rage in the caiman's body slowly dissipated, his breathing became shallow. He winced in pain when he tried to close his hand into a fist. His hands...His poor hands...

Both of them looked like they went through a grinder: pulpy and bloodied.

When the door was swung open, Yura let out gasp that made her cover her mouth. Besides her incoherent babble out of shock, Saigo's eyes were slowly getting heavy. He felt faint, his breathing was starting to get shallow. Was this how death would be like?

He allowed himself to succumb to the darkness, feeling the touch from Yura slipping away...

...

He woke up to the soft sounds of sobbing. The caiman sat up, wincing in pain when his hands were planted onto something soft. He was on his bed, both of his hands wrapped up in makeshift bandages made from his shirts that he rarely wore.

Yura was kneeling at the foot of the bed, her long hair pooled the mattress and hid her face. Saigo felt his heart lurched at the sight. Tenderly, he parted her hair to see her face, full of tears and snot while eyes eyes were puffy.

"Yura?"

"Why..." she breathed. "Why the fuck did you do that? Why? Why?!"

The caiman pulled her close to his chest, despite her anger and frustration. He doesn't blame her. To be honest, all of the negative thoughts and self-loathing he was feeling earlier were lying dormant. For now, he wanted Yura to be okay.

"I don't know if I should tell you why," sighed Saigo, feeling her sobbed into his chest. He rests his snout on top of her head. "It's kind of stupid..."

"Just tell me," Yura choked up, her hand gripping onto his shoulder. "I may not be a carnivore, let alone a beast but I want to help! Saigo, please open the door for me. I love you..."

The caiman let out a small rumble, planting a kiss on her head as he rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, Yura. When I saw those two couples, I was happen for a second thinking that we could do something like that but...Oh, Yura I am not good with anything I do!"

He felt a soft hand caressing his cheek. Through her red eyes, she was struggling to utter out the words she wanted to say. Despite being a mess, he kissed her lips. He loved her so much but he felt guilty for dragging her down to hell with him.

"W-we..." Yura began, exhaling the words slowly. "Will...Be..."

"Okay," he finished the sentence with a small smile. He laid back down with her top, wrapping him like a blanket. Saigo wished this moment would last and knew he had a lot to do if he wants the both of them to live together.

Never would he thought in his thirty-seven years that he would actually found someone who understood his pain and struggles. In return, he wants to help her too. All he could think about was working his way up the food chain in order to turn this slum of an apartment into a Slumberland.

"I've got to apologise to Iko and..."

"Qandeel," Yura answered for him, nodding in agreement. "Those two are nice and I think we can trust them. Believe me, I've been on the streets long enough to know who feels trustworthy."

The caiman chuckled, playing with her hair. There was an instinct in a human after all!

"I'll also try to make an honest living," said Yura, resting her head under his chin. "I don't mind any kind of work as long as they don't see my face."

Saigo rumbled softly. He will have to trust himself to believe that the both of them will be okay. But first...

"Say Yura, how do feel about a midnight swim?"

I'm sorry that I haven't been updating. Busy with my new job and also being a full-time author publishing my books. If you want to check it out, it's in my profile

Don't worry, there will be a happy ending *wink wink*