Chapter Text
Her footsteps receded into the narrow alleyway as she decided it best to take the short path back home.
Sun had gone down the horizon quite a while ago, so it was easier to slip through this path without raising any suspicion as to why a woman was treading down that lone road at this hour of the day.
Another assignment completed successfully but at what cost? The more she stayed in this line of work, the more she was prone to put her daughter at risk, lest she was ever discovered. But she needed whatever money she could get especially since she was the sole breadwinner of the family now.
She tried not to think about him but it was hard not to. She supposed he had been kind enough to leave them with a fairly decent amount that would last at least till Anya was in college but Yor had her own pride.
She did not need his charity to take care of her daughter. She would manage fairly on her own even if it meant getting her hands bloodied for the lifetime. She would do it for Anya.
Too lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize she wasn't alone until she had taken a steep turn into a deserted alley. The sound of cobbled steps would have been lost to a normal person but Yor was quick to get alert.
At first she could only make a silhouette but as he stepped further into the fluorescence light of the lamp, his features became more clear and in turn the uniform he had on.
Oh.
It was just her luck that would stumble upon the SSS tonight of all days. She was reminded of the last time she stumbled upon them–the one where they had confronted her what seemed ages ago on grounds of espionage.
It had truly been a traumatizing event because she was more concerned about keeping her role as a wife and a mother of forgers and didn't want to taint their name.
Even though the illusion of their family had all but fallen apart, she still would like to avoid any such situation.
She was aware that SSS had been patrolling the streets in the thick blanket of night as well but didn't think they would be veering in such dark corners too.
Maybe all that talk about increased security truly was true.
Her throat closed up because the previous time at least she was returning from her respectable job as a civil servant.
But this…
No, this was bad. Really bad.
The faint smell of blood still lingered on her even though she had changed into a fresh pair of clothing immediately after.
There was no way this officer would miss that!
She had really gone and done it now. Maybe if she weren't too prideful, she could have used his money to pay for Anya's fees at Eden. But she had wanted to be self-sufficient to provide for her daughter because unlike him, Anya wasn't just a part of the mission for her.
She was her daughter. Blood relation or not.
"The hour is quite late for you to be taking this path, Miss."
"I umm needed to hurry up home so I took a shorter path. M-my daughter must be waiting for me." She hoped there was enough conviction in her voice to let this man off her back but he only prodded her further.
"How old is your daughter?"
"She turned seven last month." Yor was confident that Anya was no more than five but she needed to stick to her birth records.
"That's a young age to leave a child alone at home." He mused, adjusting his cap and Yor had to bite back an irritated sigh as she answered.
"She's not alone. I have a… friend looking after her. He is kind enough to babysit when I'm stuck late at work."
It was only miniscule but Yor saw the sudden tightening of jaw in an otherwise emotionless face as he took a step forward.
What did she say?
"What does your husband think of a strange man staying up late at your home?"
Was he serious?
"He thinks nothing seeing as he has been dead for the past four months." She spat out and watched as his eyes narrowed for a fraction.
What was his deal? Yor was already a fuse ready to blow at any mention of him and this officer had to bring him up.
"Four months seems like a fairly short amount of time to move on to another man."
Oh, he did not.
He-
He really-
Her palms clenched at that, and she had to inhale a heavy breath while she tried not to lose her composure.
Deep breathes, Yor. This man doesn't know you. It is all part of his job.
She supposed that in society this was something that would be frowned upon but she wasn't doing anything wrong. These people were short sighted to think that a man being a woman's friend would have to mean there were some ulterior actions.
Franky was kind enough to uphold his role as Anya's uncle and aid her in times of need and she was grateful for that. Besides, he was more like a brother to her.
The officer was still staring at her, anticipating her answer or perhaps studying her to see what she was hiding as she sighed.
If he was hellbent on being a bother, maybe she should take care of him here and now. She was already in a foul mood. It's not like anyone was nearby to hear his screams. Thorn princess had always been careful enough to not leave her prints anywhere, so it wasn't like anyone would ever know she did this. They would chalk it up to a common thief or a thug. The city was drowning in them.
With that thought process, she began to close the distance between them which made his eyebrow quirk.
"You do not have any warrant to question me, sir, so I would like to go home." She tried one last retort, one last attempt to spare this man's life.
"So, he is more than a friend…" He muttered more to himself than to her and Yor felt irritation coarse through her veins at his fixation. Well, if he wasn't willing to let her go by himself then she truly had no choice.
Reaching out for her needle behind her back, she held it in a precise angle to slash him with one quick shot–a quick death.
Her hand gripped the hilt, and before he could blink, she moved her weapon, ready to end him and this whole strange situation right here and now, so she could go back home to her dear daughter.
Yor had been prepared to feel the splash of his blood, to hear his groan as he fell to his knees before succumbing to his endless slumber.
However, none of this happened.
A millisecond might have passed before she registered a large hand grabbing hers.
Before she could even bring it up in front.
Wha...
The officer…
He somehow knew.
Did her body language gave her away? But it wasn't possible. No average person could sense her coming. Her highly trained skills made sure of that.
How?
How could he have noticed this?
But most of all…
Why…why did she stop?
Yor was strong enough to overcome this man and drive the needle right in his flesh, but she couldn't.
She…
That touch… the warmth radiating from that touch… it was familiar.
"Yor.."
She jumped, as if she had been bolted by lightning–dropping her needle in the process.
That voice.
The one that haunted her in her dreams and traced her skin like silken sheets in the vivid ones.
She hadn't heard it in three months. Not since the night they–
"Lo- Twilight…" His name left her lips in a breathy whisper and she had to physically hold onto the dilapidated walls of the building to prevent herself from tumbling down.
In one swift motion, he pulled the mask off his face to reveal those piercing blue eyes she had fallen in love with over the past year.
Of course.
A man with a thousand faces.
How could she have been so stupid to not realize?
A light stubble covered his face and his hairs were longer than usual, a bit unkempt which was so unlike him but then again… did she even know the real him to begin with?
He was here.
He was really here.
She had thought that he would have left for Westalis by now.
Words failed to form on her lips because the last time she had seen this man there had been tears, screaming, agony and afterwards what transpired had completely shattered any boundaries they had built with each other.
"Wh-what are you doing here?"
She was finally able to put her thoughts into words as he raked his hands through his golden locks–averting his gaze with a torn expression. She could hear his heavy breathing when he loosened his collar before meeting his eyes.
"I wanted to see how you were." His voice came out in deep timber, a struggle evident on his face as she shut her eyes.
The urge to claw at his face, his chest, his very soul boiling inside her as she looked at him.
This man… the facade he put on of Loid Forger had made her believe that there was someone she could rely on. He gave her a home, a sanctuary and yet…
Every single moment they shared together was shadowed by his deception now. She couldn't tell what was real and what was not.
But standing here in front of her, he stared at her with such raw emotion in his eyes that–
No.
She couldn't let him fool her. Not anymore. Not again.
"You shouldn't be here." She spewed out with difficulty before walking to bypass him. She wanted nothing to do with him. She wanted distance between them because she knew if–
Large hand encircled her wrist making her inhale sharply.
–she was too weak when it came to him.
"Yor…" His grip tightened on her hand and the pounding of her heart only got louder.
How could he make her come undone with even the simplest of gestures?
His fingers trailed up the length of her arm in a light caress and she turned her head so he couldn't see the effect he had on her.
From the very beginning, Yor knew that it would be easy to fall for a man like him, if she wasn't too careful.
His lips neared her ear, hot breath fawning her and she had to bite down a gasp at that.
"You let another man in our house?"
But the passage of time made her fall only harder for this ma–
What?
Her brain caught up to her senses as his words registered in her head.
Another man?
She pushed him away with all her strength, fury dancing in her red eyes as she looked at him.
"You have no right to ask that, Twilight." His codename dripped off her lips like poison making him flinch if only for a miniscule moment but it gave her a small sense of satisfaction.
"Anya is my daughter." He added. "I want to know who you let in her life."
Daughter?
A weak chuckle left her as she shook her head.
"Anya's father died four months ago."
This only seemed to ignite something ugly inside him as he gritted his teeth. "Couldn't even wait a little longer to replace him."
Oh.
He did not.
He did not just say that.
Stepping forward, he loomed above her as his lips settled in a snarl and Yor knew whatever he was about to say would be terrible..
"Has he taken residence in your bed as well?"
What...
This… this arrogant deceitful liar this…
Shoving him against the wall, she pinned him there with force–letting him feel every ounce of her rage.
"My husband didn't have a place there, Twilight so this question is unwarranted."
That statement only seemed to edge him on as he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down so he could look properly in her eyes.
"The night three months ago begs to differ."
Of all the things…
Why was he bringing that up now? He was a cruel man. A vile infuriating man.
Face flushed red, in anger or shame she couldn't decide because he was here after all that time…just because…
Pressing the narrow end of her needle on his neck, she hissed her words.
"Are you really acting the part of a jealous husband right now?"
He seemed unfazed by the blood dripping down his bronze skin–running his eyes on the length of her face.
When he didn't say anything, she continued. "Should I ask you the same thing? How many women have you taken to bed since then?"
Even though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but feel the maddening desire to end the lives of every single one he had ever touched after her. Just the thought of him doing what he did with her to someone else was enough to make her want to hurl over.
She was so out of her bounds now, seeing as he never belonged to her but if he was going to act like that…she was going to give him the taste of his own medicine.
A sigh left his lips, and she felt his fingers trace her jaw, a solemn expression on his face as stared at her with a yearning that left her a little breathless.
"There's been no one after you. I can't do that anymore."
Do what?
Deceive woman? Entrap them? Break their heart?
And even though she was the one overpowering him right this moment, she still felt like he was overwhelming her.
Air trapped in her lungs as he brought his mouth near hers–she could taste his breath this close and she needed to pull apart before she would lose the remaining of her senses.
Letting him free, she tiptoed back to escape the drug that was this man.
Big mistake.
As soon as she let him free, his hands pulled her around before trapping her against the wall. His grip on her hand was tight enough to leave a bruise as he pressed her against the brick of this dilapidated building.
"Tell me it's the same for you."
Her head spun at the proximity and she had to search hard inside her head to even remember what they were talking of in the first place.
Entraping woman… mission…a man in her bed…
Yes.
Tugging her lower lip between his teeth, he pulled at it once before repeating with a commanding tone.
"Tell me."
Oh god.
"Franky is the one looking after her."
Because she couldn't not answer him, not when he used that voice of his. Not when she could feel him through that olive green uniform that only amplified how rakishly handsome he was. And how deeply she was drawn in his orbit.
How deeply she wanted him. Needed him.
His frown lessened at her words and she wanted to ask him, to know if he wasn't keeping tabs on their activity anymore.
She wanted to ask where he had been all this while, and if he had heard of the prospect of the peace talks escalating between their countries. And if that could possibly change anything for him?
She wanted to ask him if he missed Anya, if he was wary of how much she missed her Papa everyday.
But most importantly she wanted to ask him if he missed her, if he felt for her what she did for him or was this bout of jealousy, this… this sudden appearance just a fluke in–
But all thoughts left her head when a pair of lips crashed on hers.