Strays: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure

Zero stared down at his food. He could hear the buzzing of the restaurant around him but couldn’t see any of it with his hood on and head permanently downcast. The devil frowned at the nearly full plate, only having eaten a small portion of his steak and potatoes. He hadn’t even wanted to eat that much but knew it was the minimum of what he should. If he didn’t then Ivy would worry, and the girl was already a ball of nerves ready to unravel under the stares of the angels everywhere they went. It was nothing new to the devil, but it was unfamiliar territory for her, and he didn’t want to add on to her concerns.

He never had much appetite though when they came to this city. Too much hustle and bustle, too many eyes, too many voices. Too many angels that Ren wouldn’t be able to convince out of creating an altercation over his eyes if seen. He understood why he had to be weary and conceal his face, but that didn’t make it any less stifling or unpleasant. He enjoyed being able move around at his leisure, look at everything around him, explore. That was impossible here. He had never even really seen the city; just the stone of its roads, the bottom of its buildings, and the bridges that stretched over the countless canals.

They had just arrived, and he was more than ready to move on.

“You’ve had enough!” Ren snapped at the vixen as she snatched another bite from his plate. “You already ate most of that chocolate, your plate, and half of mine. You’ve been picking at my food before you even finished yours. Go away! Get the fuck out of here!”

Sakura ignored him, leaning over the arm he was using to protect his dwindling supper, and stabbed her fork into his green beans.

“Damn it woman! Obey your alpha mate!”

Zero pushed his plate away, now looking at the empty table. “You can have mine,” he offered somberly. It would just be wasted on him anyways, and he was pretty sure he could get a moment of peace from the pair so long as they both had food in their mouths to keep them quiet. Normally, Ren was the obnoxious one, but the two had seemed to switch roles and now it was Sakura’s turn. And no matter the task, she never did anything halfhearted.

The demon grabbed it quickly before the devil could change his mind and ripped into the steak. “See,” she grumbled with her mouth full, nudging the man. “This is why I’m nicer to him than you.”

Ren paid her no mind, having no time to as he tried to hurry to eat the remainder of his supper before the fox could come after it again.

A bread roll was pushed into the narrow range of vision that the hood allowed Zero to possess, and he felt delicate fingers slip through his.

“You should eat more,” Ivy told him, her sweet voice kind but concerned.

The boy nodded and grabbed it with his free hand, taking a bite and chewing it slowly, the bread dry on his tongue.

“So, why are we going to the docks?” Ren asked as he shoved the last bit of his meal into his mouth.

Sakura was still working on Zero’s plate. “We’re gonna go see an old friend of mine.”

“You never told me you had friends.” The angel stared at her in shock. “Especially friends here. Are you sure you’re in the right place?”

The fox puffed her chest out and raised her chin. “Of course I’m in the right place. But unlike a certain someone, I’m actually quite popular around these parts. In a very good way.”

His shock grew, mouth agape at the boastful woman before him. He turned to Ivy, looking for confirmation.

“It’s true.” The girl nodded, her violet eyes full of innocence. “But she’s only popular at the docks. The sailors all love her.”

“Oh! Is she now? Who’s this friend?” The angel glared at the arrogant demon who only answered with a nonchalant shrug, before turning back to the girl. “Who’s this friend?”

“Lore,” she chirped.

“Lore? And who’s Lore?”

Ivy smiled and leaned towards the angel eagerly. “He’s the reason why we come to Golden City. We never go without seeing him. He’s so very nice, and really fun to be around. If his crew is going to be docked for awhile, then he lets us stay on his ship with him. He always takes us out, and after he’s had a good haul, he’ll take us to the candy store.” She looked to the fox. “Remember those little caramels he bought us last time? Those were so good.”

A sigh escaped the woman’s lips as she recalled the memory with fondness. “They really were good.”

Ren wasn’t so impressed.

He turned back to Sakura, his eyes accusing as she sat dreaming of sweets that had been provided by another man. “Oh! He’s very nice and really fun to be around, and he’s the reason you come here, and you sleep with him, and he buys you candy,” he repeated, jealousy oozing in suffocating waves. “What was all that talk back at the den about then? All that, ‘You’re my alpha mate! You’re my One! You’re my child bride! I want to go home and have a hundred powerful sons with you, Ren!’,” he mocked her voice in a high pitch, bobbing his head side to side while rolling his eyes.

Sakura sighed, exasperated with the man’s foolishness. “I never said any of that. Ever.”

She was right.

She never did.

Not even close.

But Ren was never one to let a little thing like reality color his perception.

“It’s what you meant!” he hissed.

She rested her chin on her palm and stared at the man blankly. “I thought you wanted all the sad little men to stare? To bear witness to what was yours and not theirs. What happened to that?”

“That’s completely different and you know it! You’re not accepting treats from them! Caramel? Are you serious? Is that what you really want? Is chocolate not good enough for you anymore? I can buy you both. I’ll buy you the whole fucking shop. What do you want from me, Sakura?!”

“Wow! You are... really hung up on that, aren’t ya?” The demon got to her feet, knowing the angel was spiraling and there was no benefit in sitting around and listening to his complaining any further. “Quit your bitching, we’re going to the docks.” She turned and snapped her fingers at the man, walking away. “Come.”

Ren tossed a few coins on the table and took off after the woman, arguing and whining and trying to get more information from the fox as she blew him off flippantly.

Ivy and Zero followed closely behind the chaotic pair. Now, it wasn’t only the glares from the angels they had to tolerate, but also the awkward stares from nearly everyone they passed on the road as they tried to keep their distance from the loudly bickering couple, none of which the two seemed to notice, the man too busy working himself up in a frenzy as the woman alternated between ignoring and snapping at him.

At least they were taking all the attention for themselves, leaving Zero mostly in the clear.

He squeezed Ivy’s hand and she peered up at him, smiling sweetly. The devil always liked the way she looked at him, her eyes clear and expressive, and even though he couldn’t look at everything around him, at least he could still look down at her. “Who’s Lore?” he asked, curious after all the hype. He realized Ren was jealous over this person. Sakura had used that word before to describe him when he acted like this. The boy didn’t really understand it. Didn’t know if he should feel that way as well. He hoped he wasn’t supposed to. It looked terrible. Definitely not something he wanted to partake in.

Ivy released his hand and wrapped her arms around his, pulling herself closer to him. She turned her attention forward, guiding them along. “Did you ever meet Okag? In Hollis?”

The ogre and her husband were always very kind to him when they passed through. “I have.”

“Lore is her brother. He’s just as nice as her. But he likes to drink. A lot. Sakura always gets drunk and starts fights with The Guard angels, and he has to drag her back to wherever we’re staying. I always have to tuck her in, and then she’ll smother me and tell me over and over how much she loves me before falling asleep.” She giggled, a lovely tune. “It’s kind of funny. I don’t like drinking though. It tastes awful and makes me sleepy.” She glanced up curiously at the boy. “Do you like drinking?”

“Ren gave me a drink of his ale once. It made me sick. I couldn’t keep it down.” Or anything else in his stomach for that matter. How the man had laughed and laughed, finding it hilarious. The boy… not so much.

She nodded understandingly. “It seems to do that to some people. A lot of them will start getting loud and rowdy after a while, too. I really don’t like when people act like that. I’d like to leave before then. Will you go with me?”

“I will.” Zero would go with her anywhere.

The girl’s body pressed even closer to his, her eyes shining with a seldom seen mischief and a small wily smile. Her lips moved but no sound came out.

Let’s go to the ocean tonight

Zero had been to Golden City with Ren more times than he could be bothered to count, and each time the angel had asked the boy if he wanted to go to the ocean. To walk in its sands and splash through its waters. He had agreed to look at it once but had no real interest in going past the pier. He had seen plenty of water, this one no different, just larger. And he had walked through enough sand leaving the desert to last him several lifetimes. He didn’t feel the need to do it again.

But when Ivy asked, violet pleading for him to say yes, he knew he would. Not just because she wanted to.

But because so did he.

He wanted to go there with her.

And her alone.

He wasn’t sure if Ren would approve. It was a toss up on whether he’d find it reckless or be amused with Zero’s choice. More than likely a mixture of the two. Sakura was a safe bet to assume she’d think them careless and irresponsible and refuse to allow them to go off on their own. The fact that the girl mouthed the request was proof enough of that.

The boy had grown accustomed to asking the man for permission throughout the years. Not because he had to, Ren often pushed and encouraged him to make his own decisions, but because he wasn’t always sure what to do. He had never had choices before he met the angel, and choosing the right path could be overwhelming. It was reassuring to have the man close by, giving approval or urging the boy to give more consideration to the issue at hand. It felt safe.

But he didn’t want to ask this time.

He wanted to do what he wanted, without someone else’s input.

Someone else’s opinion.

Zero didn’t care what they thought.

If they found out and got mad about it…

Then they would just have to get over it.

He could feel the smile spread across his lips, more than he had felt it do so in the past, and the thrill on the girl’s face confirmed it.

He nodded.

He felt…

He wasn’t sure.

Zero watched the heat rise from her chest, past her neck, and spread across Ivy’s face as her smile brightened before she dropped her head and continued guiding him along. Her arms tightened around his while her steps became lighter and bouncy, and it became obvious to the boy that she was barely containing her excitement.

That was it.

He felt the same as her.

He felt excited.