"Hey, Sun Bear," she said, her voice carrying easily over the crackling roar of the fires. "You'd better hurry up, or we're going to be late for class."
She turned to tease him, expecting his usual slow, gentle demeanor, but her words died in her throat. A rough hand suddenly clamped onto her shoulder, fingers digging into her flesh with bruising force. She spun around, her eyes widening in shock, only to find her father standing there, his face twisted in a mask of rage and hunger.
The entire city was a sea of fire behind him, the sky choked with black smoke, yet he seemed entirely focused on her.
"I've been looking for you, my sweet daughter," he choked out, his grip tightening around her neck. He was squeezing the life out of her, his face inches from hers, his eyes cold and devoid of love.
Plum screamed, a raw, piercing sound of terror and fury. She clawed at his arms, her fingernails raking against his skin, but he didn't let go. The fire reflected in her eyes, her rage burning hotter than the city around them. She thrashed against him, desperate to break free, but his grip was iron.
Then, with a sudden, violent motion, she turned away from him. Her sharp, red abi-claws extended from her fingertips, gleaming in the firelight. She slashed out, aiming for his neck. He dodged at the last second, a shallow cut marking his skin, but he was thrown off balance.
PLUM WOKE UP
Plum's eyes were wide, her chest heaving with exertion and adrenaline. She ontop of Burajiru on his apartment floor. He
Burajiru, looking confused and concerned. "Plum?" he asked, his voice gentle.
She retracted her abi-claws, her hands trembling violently. She stood up and sat on his bed "I'm sorry."
Her face began to shiver, not from the cold, but from the aftershocks of her overwhelming emotion. She looked at Burajiru, her gaze searching for safety.
"You were screaming for your father to stop, did he do something to you?" Burajiru asked, stepping closer, his concern evident.
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Plum shook her head frantically, the tears finally spilling over and tracking through the soot on her face. "Yes," she whispered, the word barely audible. "He tried to....." She tried to hold back the tears, to be strong, but it was impossible. "Why couldn't he just love me, nobody has ever loved me."
To Burajiru the feeling was familiar.
He sat beside her "Come here. It's okay," he said softly.
Plum fell into his arms without hesitation, burying her face in his chest and sobbing uncontrollably. Burajiru held her tight, his own heart aching for her pain.
"I'm sorry, Plum," he murmured into her hair. "When you're ready to tell me, you can. Until then, I'll be here holding you."
Plum squeezed him tighter, her nails digging into his back. Then, in a sudden, desperate motion, she bit into his neck. She drank his abi, his life force, aggressively and hungrily. Her other hand roamed his abs, her fingers tracing the lines of his muscles, seeking some kind of grounding in the overwhelming, chaotic emotions she was feeling. She didn't know what to do with the hatred she held for her father, so she did what brought her immediate comfort: she ate. She thought that if she ate more of Burajiru's abi, she would become strong enough to defeat her father, to destroy him and everything he stood for.
But she also wanted to be closer to Burajiru so what better way to do that than to consume his soul.
Plum gently touched his chest "Am I ugly and round?"
"Plum," Burajiru said softly, his hand reaching out to gently cup her cheek. "Hey, don't say that about yourself. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You're not round either; you're curvy, smart, lowkey funny and every time you evolve from my abi you look amazing, and that's exactly what I like."
He pulled her in closer, his expression serious but filled with warmth. "Who cares what other people think? We all can't look the same. Sun Bears look different from Grizzly bears, and Grizzly bears look different from Polar Bears. Sun Bears are unique, with their distinctive chest patches and shaggy fur, small but intricate and beautiful. Grizzly Bears are powerful and shaggy, commanding and majestic in their ruggedness. Polar Bears are majestic giants of the ice, strong and unique. All of them are beautiful in their own way."
He leaned in, his face inches from hers, his glowing red eyes locking onto hers. "You're a beautiful woman, Plum. I love your lips, your red hair, those cute lion ears. Yeah, I got the baddest girl in Dragon Hive."
He said it with a smirk, a mix of arrogance and pride. Plum's heart raced at the sound of that title, her breath hitching. "Sun Bear," she whispered.
Burajiru nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Yeah."
"I know you said you don't want to do it until marriage, but..." She paused, searching his eyes, her voice trembling slightly. "I want you inside me. You may not know this, but that would give me 25% of all your abi instantly. And it would make me happy."
Burajiru's eyes widened slightly, then softened. He smiled, reaching out to take her hand. "I didn't know that."
He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't time yet, not according to his plans, but he cared for her too much to resist. The kiss was gentle then aggressive, grounding, filled with the promise of everything that was to come.