[KURAYAMI]
Rinko had heard them all.
The whispers of the enforcer who had lost her mind hunting down what no one truly understood. The silent worry for the most lethal weapon the realms had ever seen in ages.
It had been something that was secret but not so secret.
And she knew
Ayami had been looking for Yuzuki.
Everywhere.
At every point.
And right now, as she saw the enforcer on her knees, Rinko was tempted to tell her to leave and let things be. To forget about Yuzuki just like she had begun.
But then even Rinko, with her cold heart, knew what this meant.
Enforcers never bowed to anyone other than their kings and their beloved.
Yet Ayami was here. Bowing.
Head down. Knees on the rough ground.
Without so much as a care.
Yet with only a soft prayer on her lips. A wish that only Rinko could grant. One that Rinko was so tempted not to lean into.
But there was only so much suffering hearts could take, no? Because Rinko knew Yuzuki had come this far for this woman.
To deny them both that chance would be cruel. But fuck was it something else altogether if Ayami had willingly gone on her knees.
"If you hurt her…" Rinko trailed off.
Ayami looked up, hopefully, the evening sun setting on them like that was all that life could ever give her. Like that was the cost of her desperation. But did Ayami care about anything less right now?
"My life is hers to do with as she wishes. I would never lift a finger against her. I'd die first," Ayami said.
From any standpoint, it sounded dramatic. Yet Rinko knew that this woman was that crazy. That she would do it.
She would die for Yuzuki.
Or rather, the version of Yuzuki that she had gotten to know for barely an hour. It was crazy, but it was the price of love, wasn't it?
"Fuck," Rinko groaned.
She couldn't let this enforcer know she believed her. But at the same time, she couldn't deny them both what they needed.
Each other.
"Please," Ayami insisted desperately.
"If she sheds a tear…" Rinko warned again, even though she knew there was no need for that.
"I know… I know, Rinko," Ayami breathed softly.
"The riverside, go down west. If… If she cries, not even Kazuya will save you from me, Araki," Rinko reminded calmly, but the threat in her tone was obvious.
She wouldn't hesitate.
She wouldn't stop.
She would ruin everything if anything went wrong.
For Yuzuki.
For loyalty.
For the queen of Kurayami.
"Thank you," Ayami said, and then she was off.
Running downstream. West. Praying silently. Hoping that this was not a hoax. And maybe it would be a hoax.
Because even Rinko, for some bit, was gambling. But she knew Yuzuki hadn't gone upstream. So that was the only option. Besides, what the heck was she supposed to do?
The rush down was not hard for Ayami.
Her desperation kept her feet moving, desire kept her heart holding on, and when she smelled the peach scent and saw the familiar silhouette, Ayami had never been so happy to see such unreasonably long black hair.
Gods, this was her heaven.
Ayami stilled when she saw her.
The woman of her dreams.
The woman whose touch had melted into her skin and had her so desperate for over a year. She was not dreaming anymore.
She was here.
Her Yuzuki was here.
And suddenly, everything that Ayami had gone through to get to this moment disappeared. It didn't matter anymore.
Not the long nights.
Not the desperation earlier.
None of it mattered.
The only one that did...
Was right here. In front of her.
"Dove…" Ayami breathed like a prayer.
"My little dove," she added as she stayed still. Like she was terrified that this was just another dream that would never come true for her. Her life had been hell this past year, and frankly, if this was another dream, then she would be glad it was way more realistic than the others she had ever had.
Yuzuki turned, her soft hair dangling on her back like her feet were in the water. The blank face she had been wearing slowly morphed into a surprised yet smiling one.
It was like getting a breath of fresh air for both of them, and damn if this wasn't the best moment for both of them.
"Yeah, not real," Yuzuki mumbled before she turned to stare at the water again.
And Ayami had never closed a distance that fast.
It was her lifeline.
Her chance.
To make things better.
To make them both feel better, and it was not going to go away just like that.
"I'm here, peaches. Finally found you, my little dove," Ayami said as she went on her knees again, but this time it was to hug Yuzuki, who was staring like she was seeing an illusion.
Like this was an impossible dream.
The scent of peaches filled the air as both mates hugged each other. With Yuzuki wondering if this was possible or if this was Kujo again. But perhaps at this moment, all she had to do was breathe from the source, right?
And the scent gland near her nose was close to reminding her of what she had yearned for for so long.
"You're real," Yuzuki whispered, her desperation matching Ayami's. And when they pulled back, they embraced each other like this was what the heavens had worked so hard to give them.
Perhaps it was true.
Perhaps it was the greatest test of what could have been.
What had been thought of and what was right now.
Them.
Just them.
"I… I thought I'd never see you again. I thought… Oh, gods," Yuzuki rambled as she held Ayami close. Hugging her still now that they were both standing.
Yuzuki held on like that was what life had taken from her. And Ayami returned the hug, holding the woman like this was everything.
And honestly, at that moment, it was.
It was everything for them both.
They had strived to meet each other more than once, each on their own way, and fate was finally playing along.
Oh, how Yuzuki had never been so glad to listen to the three-pause pulse beating in Ayami's chest.
Her Matsui was here.
The love of her life across life lines was here, and Yuzuki couldn't have been happier.
"I missed you," Ayami hiccupped when they pulled back a few inches, their eyes staring into each other before they dropped to their lips at the same time.
"M… May… Can I kiss you?" Ayami whispered, scared that the winds would carry her words before her mate heard them.
"Ye–" Yuzuki began, but didn't even get to finish because Ayami slammed their lips together desperately, their mouths fighting for dominance, their tongues tangling as they ate each other out.
The kiss was messy, sloppy, and yet it was one that they leaned into. It was like they were both scared this would be the last time.
But did that even matter right now?
Yuzuki had missed Ayami's taste on her lips. She had wished for it for so long, and when Hirano had kissed her earlier, she had been so pissed.
But now…
Here she was. With Ayami.
The woman she wanted.
The woman her heart beat for.
Gods, she was easily the happiest woman in that moment.
"My beloved," Ayami said quietly when they pulled back for the kiss, only to dive back in as if to tell Yuzuki just how much she loved her and how much she had missed her.
Oh, but they had both yearned for each other for too long. And as they let themselves lean into the emotions that had stayed at bay for too long, they didn't think of what the repercussions would be of a Yamashita in Kurayami.
Today wasn't the time for that, right?
"My little dove," Ayami said, peppering kisses on Yuzuki's face, before she settled on Yuzuki's scent gland, her fangs grazing the Kurayami queen's neck.
Yuzuki had barred her neck. Given her space up instinctively.
She was ready to get marked so much so that if Ayami didn't force herself to step back and just leave kisses on that scent gland, Yuzuki would have ended up marked today.
"Your sister would kill me if I marked you randomly," Ayami chuckled sheepishly.
"She's a nice one," Yuzuki laughed, and they both knew what that meant.
"My beautiful dove… my life means nothing without you," Ayami added softly.
And Yuzuki…
Yuzuki whimpered at the familiar words.
Words she had only ever heard from Matsui.