Defensive Gardening (1)

"I said that I'm not leaving!"

The shout from the relatively short young girl, dressed in a pink unicorn onesie, echoed around, but the two adults completely ignored her presence.

The blond man covered in blood stared at the child with venomous eyes while she stared angrily in his general direction.

If it wasn't so serious, Cyril would have burst out laughing at the comical situation of the two glaring at each other.

Instead, he coughed lightly before blocking Alexei's vision of the little girl.

"Move."

"No."

Clang-

At the sound of metal clashing against itself, the young girl flinched as tears filled her eyes.

"I've said it before. Stop picking up strays 'cause I'm the one who has to put up with them."

"She's not a stray."

"Yeah! I'm not a stray!" Jordan yelled while sticking her tongue out.

"Cyri." Alexei called his name in a warning tone, but Cyril simply picked the little girl up and set her to the side before turning to Alexei while observing him.

His amber eyes narrowed angrily while glaring over his shoulder. His usual golden hair was matted against his skull with a rusty red tint and dotted with pink and blue feathers.

The black clothes looked dusty from thin fibers and clung to the muscled body, and when Cyril touched it, his hand came back damp with blood.

The only thing that looked normal was the simple leather briefcase in his hand.

"Injured?"

"No." Although the words were cold, Cyril noticed the slight flicker in his eyes.

He was probably injured slightly and didn't want to show weakness to a stranger.

"Stop dripping blood on my floor. Go shower. By the time you're done, I'll have dropped her at a safe police station and returned. I already said I'm not taking her in, so there's no need to be rude to a child."

"I don't want to go! I'm staying here!"

"You be quiet and stay still. I'll be back."

Cyril shoved Alexei up the stairs and into the bathroom without paying attention to Jordan's scream.

Slamming the door behind him, he tapped the wall, making the room soundproof, before staring at Alexei up and down, trying to find the injury.

"Where is it?"

"It's not serious, and it's almost done healing."

"Don't lie. Do you need a first aid kit? I can get one. Or should I buy a healing potion? I saw it in the store."

"With the points? Don't bother. It'll be healed by day's end."

Cyril: "……fine."

Seeing Alexei beginning to strip, he pushed his sleeve up to wash his bloody hands.

As he turned to leave, Alexei grabbed his left arm, which was in a brace, and held it out.

"Did she do this?"

"It was an accident. Wasn't even her fault, really."

"…."

"What? You think I can't take a little kid?"

"Obviously not."

At the question, Alexei pointedly grabbed the oversized shirt, lifting it up and exposing the raised red scar that circled Cyril's torso. Despite the passing of time, the scar looked completely raw, especially against the pale skin, as if it were a fresh wound.

"Hey. He took me by surprise! Every other fight I've been in after that, I won."

"Let's just say I'm not willing to take any risks."

Before Cyril could do anything, black chains wrapped around Cyril from his ankle to his neck, forcing him to become a chain-wrapped statue that could only move his head.

"Oi! Let me go." 

Despite his struggles, the chains didn't move in the slightest.

Black chains gently laid him on the floor facing the door while Alexei entered the tub. Then, the sounds of running water as steam began to fill the bathroom.

"Alexei, I'm warning you."

"For someone who repeatedly said they wouldn't leave, there are an awful lot of tracks leaving this location, and when I came back, there's a random person, and you have an injury to boot. Sit still until I'm done showering. Then, you can explain yourself from the beginning to the end."

"Alexei. Don't piss me off. You really think I can't get out of this?" Cyril forced himself to sit up, his back leaning against the door as he glared at the bathtub.

Alexei stood at his full height, his eyes appearing over the white shower curtain, and he arched his brow sardonically.

"I'd like to see you try."

Those were fighting words.

Irritated at Alexei's confident tone, Cyril calmly opened a Door beneath him and began falling through it.

As the chains tightened around his body and tried to pull him upward, he closed the Door, decisively cutting them before setting the Door opening right outside of the bathroom.

Thud!

After landing on the floor, Cyril began struggling, and the chopped chains began falling away from his body as he stood up.

Bang!

Suddenly, the bathroom door slammed open.

Alexei looked him up and down, wet hair dripping blood-stained water all over the ground. He glanced at the chopped chains fading into the wood floor before smiling the gentle smile he was known for.

It was surprising to see chains that had rarely been broken before get cleanly separated like this, and even more surprising that the mana nullification baked into the chains didn't work. Well, it was good that he had a way to defend himself while here.

Seeing Cyril's angry scowl, his eyes flaming as if he were about to spit fire, Alexei decided to take the smallest step back. He grabbed his dropped briefcase and tossed it to Cyril, who caught it before sagging at its weight.

"There's meat and eggs in my briefcase, so I'd like steak and fried eggs for breakfast. Feel free to feed the brat, too. I'll shower and be right out. In the meantime, don't go anywhere unless you want me to chase you down and chain you to this building forever. Seriously."

At the warning flashing in those amber eyes, Cyril glared in return.

"Don't try to control me in the name of protection."

"You don't get a say after being snapped like a toothpick and getting bullied by a stray puppy. I'm on bodyguard duty and you were the one who asked me to protect you. Do not leave this place." Alexei lazily shot back as his chains slowly crept forward, wrapping around Cyril's leg and dragging him closer.

"Got it?"

With a familiar motion, he chopped Cyril's forehead, leaving a red mark.

"I said I would drop her off, so just come along with me."

As the furrowed brows slightly relaxed, Alexei thoroughly messed up Cyril's hair before squeezing his chubby cheeks tightly, completely staining the pale skin and white hair with blood and from the strength of his fingers.

Truly, he was pretty irritated having to deal with annoying people and bad news, coming back to deal with more annoying things, and now seeing this damn brat injured and trying to take care of someone else when he couldn't take care of himself.

As blue eyes with a hint of red continued to glare at him, Alexei laughed mockingly as he squeezed the face held in his hands.

"Cyril. You know, I'm being generous, right? You are my priority, and anyone else is secondary, so you can tell I'm making concessions. Right? Before you complain or talk back, get your strength up, you little weakling."

Cyril: "……"

"Weakling." as if he wanted to make sure Cyril heard it, Alexei repeated the words while squeezing his face so much it hurt.

Cyril: ಠ_ಠ

Cyril: (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

At the expected response of Cyril throwing a punch at his face, Alexei dragged him away with the black chains, depositing him at the stairs.

"I'm tipping 100%, so don't burn my food. And I have important news to share, so let's have food. Let me shower, and I'll drop off your newest stray at the police chief's station, force them to find her family, and make sure she gets the best treatment without having to work like a servant. In return, don't step a foot outside of here; otherwise, I'm serious about chaining you down. I'll sit on you if I have to. Deal?"

"Alexei?"

"What?"

"Go and take a swim for me, you damn bastard. Maybe that will clear your head."

Slamming his foot on the ground, Cyril opened a Door beneath Alexei, depositing him at the center of the lake before washing his head and heading to the kitchen.

Seeing Jordan standing where he had left her, he grabbed her hand, pulled her along, and gave her a seat in the kitchen.

"What's your issue? Weren't you threatening to leave in the morning because I kidnapped you? Now you want to stay? What's the problem?"

"Uhm……"

Cyril stood there staring at the girl who refused to say anything, simply turning her head around or facing downwards while twisting her fingers.

As she fumbled around while stuttering, he began removing the giant ostrich-sized eggs with pink coloring and blue camo-like specs on them from Alexei's briefcase.

Was this even safe to eat? Well, what does it matter? Just feed it to that bastard who was taking his anger out on everybody but the person who made him angry, and if he survives, great.

After cracking it open, seeing a pink yolk, and seasoning it with salt and pepper, Cyril continued whisking it before pouring it into a pan.

In another pan, he seasoned the meat on the counter before putting it on a hot pan.

Tsssssssssssssssssssssssss.

The sounds of sizzling meat rang out.

"Uhm Cyril."

"What?"

"Can't I just stay here? I don't want to find my family." The words were muttered softly with her head bowed, and Jordan looked like she was about to cry.

"Why?"

"…Do I have to say?"

"Nope."

"Then I can stay?" at her excited tone, Cyril shook his head while scrabbling the eggs.

"When did I say that? Whether or not you want to find them is not my concern, I can't be responsible for a child, so…it's better to go to those who are better equipped to deal with it. Take your pick: church or police station. I recommend the station because Alexei has influence there."

"But-but—don't you need somebody to do chores? Even though I can't see it, I can sweep and mop really well. I'm good at dishes, too. I promise I won't break them! I'll be quiet, I don't eat a lot, and I'll be no trouble. Promise." The tiny voice began quivering as her eyes filled with tears, but Cyril was very firm.

"I'm good. It's better to go to those who can help find your family."

"…I can…uh…."

"This is not really up for discussion. Once you're done eating, I'll have Alexei take you to a police station. Unless there's a real issue about your family that you can share with me, this is nonnegotiable. Saying you don't want to go is not reason enough."

Hearing the firm tone, Jordan began crying, her little face turning red.

"Bu-but you said you would take me. I want you to take me, Cyril. Sob sob."

"Sorry…I can't. Don't worry, even though he's annoying, I guarantee Alexei will deliver you safely to the authorities."

Remembering Alexei's overbearing expression, Cyril's expression darkened considerably.

What the heck was going on outside that put him in such a bad mood?