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Yuzu has never thought much about monsters.
They were the things of fairy tales, dark little stories to keep children in line. Creatures that lurked in the dark or snatched kids when they refused to sleep. Claws that closed around ankles, tails that wrapped themselves around midsections, glowing eyes that dragged the misbehaved to their doom.
That was why, as her eyes boggled down at her bedroom floor, her reaction was understandably, one of shock.
“Who the hell are you?” She demanded at the boy lying on her floor. Well, she said ‘boy’ but his appearance suggested he was anything but.
Twin horns poked through his dual red and green hair with sharp fangs protruding his bottom lip. Yuzu arched an eyebrow at the ‘boy’s’ white wings as they folded against his back, spread out like a blanket beneath him. They looked more like they belonged to some kind of dragon or dinosaur than a boy of her age. His fingers were tipped with long sharp talons, a long red tail curling around his legs. He wore a pair of green pants that had been ripped from halfway down his calf to make up for the fact that his feet were twice the size of any human’s and were more like red scaled paws. His skin seemed human enough, if it wasn’t for the patches of red scales that dotted his forearms, neck and face.
But what struck her the most was the growing patch of red on his faded grey t-shirt.
The creature groaned and rolled over, gasping for breath. He winced, and Yuzu suddenly found herself crouching beside him. “H—Hey!” She hissed, looking around wildly before grabbing a rebel t-shirt that had managed to escape the folded piles of the closet. Pressing it to the creature’s midsection.
He gasped and blinked up at her with a wan smile, Yuzu flinched. His eyes were brilliant yellow and slitted like a reptile’s.
“T—Thanks…” He croaked and coughed, flecks of blood splattering the carpet. Yuzu winced.
“Don’t mention it. Would you mind telling me who, or what, you are and why you’re dying on my floor at 2am in the morning?”
The creature-boy laughed weakly, earning him another wracking cough. “I’m hurt you don’t know me Yuzu.”
Yuzu blinked, how did he know her name?
He grimaced in pain and Yuzu pressed on the blood-soaked t-shirt a little harder. “The name’s Yuya.” He grinned, showing bloodied fangs, “I’m a monster.”
Yuya began to sit up but Yuzu pushed him back, he smiled, “I’m okay now, thank you.”
“You are literally lying in a puddle of your own blood. I would not associate that with ‘being okay’.” She hissed, keeping her voice low in the fear that her parents would hear her. Yuya just smiled again, gently he placed a clawed hand on her arm and pushed it off his torso.
“Look, I’m okay, honest.” Yuya reached up with his opposite hand and lifted his t-shirt. Yuzu cursed.
The split skin was already beginning to knit back together, the stream of blood reducing to a trickle, before it stopped altogether. Yuya smiled sadly as she shrank back, taking another opportunity to give Yuya’s appearance the once-over.
“I’m sorry but what are you?” He shook his head slightly.
“I told you. I’m a monster.” Yuzu raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t act like a monster.” Yuya smiled, his yellow eyes sparkling in amusement.
“What did you expect a monster to be like Yuzu? A great beast that terrorized cities and snatched children in their sleep?”
Yuzu said nothing, she didn’t want to admit that that was exactly what she thought a monster was. Yuya laughed at her silence and Yuzu felt her heart jump. His laugh was beautiful.
She took a moment to observe him. Biting her bottom lip, it wasn’t just his laugh. Despite the horns, the wings, the tail, the talons, Yuzu had to admit. Yuya was cute.
“I’m so happy I finally get to talk to you.” Yuya said, snapping Yuzu back to reality before her eyes wandered too far down his form. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”
Yuzu blinked, “I’m sorry?”
Yuya smiled, “I’ve been here a while, practically your whole life actually.”
“That’s… kind of creepy.” She admitted, Yuya just laughed again.
“True, but I’ve always been there.” He waved his clawed hand to the bed and Yuzu peered underneath, to the darkened void between the mattress and the floor. She looked back to the strange boy sitting cross-legged in front of her bookcase with a stupid grin on his face.
“So, when you say monster…”
Yuya grinned, showing fangs, “You ever had those moments where you thought someone was watching you? Ever thought, or felt, that maybe you weren’t alone?”
Yuzu shivered, nodding slowly, she had felt that, she just hadn’t expected anything to have actually been there. She grew up, she learned that the dark wasn’t scary, that shadows didn’t have claws. But then again... There was the proof, right in front of her, living and breathing with a goofy grin, that maybe she should have listened to her childhood naivety.
Yuya brightened, “Really! I’m so happy!”
Yuzu frowned as Yuya practically bounded over to her, his face so close they were almost touching. His golden eyes flicking over her, his eyes almost suggesting that he could see right through her.
“I’ve been the one protecting you all these years… But I never really got to see your eyes…” He breathed, and Yuzu felt her face flush. She brought her hands between them, pushing him gently back as she coughed lightly to hide her flaming cheeks.
“Yes, well. I appreciate it. Now,” She took a deep breath, “could you please tell me why there is blood all over my carpet? What happened?”
Yuya frowned, his golden eyes suddenly becoming serious, “I got into a fight.”
“A fight? Under there?” She melodramatically fell on her side to look under the bed again. Flaying her arms around underneath the mattress. Yuya giggled.
“I mean it Yuzu.” She stiffened slightly, she liked the way he said her name. The way it rolled off his tongue like it was the most delicate thing in the world, how he seemed to warm every time he said it, as if it made him happy. She coughed again as her cheeks began to heat up.
Yuya folded his arms, pouting slightly and looked away, “Truth is, I got kicked out.”
“Kicked out?” Yuzu asked in bafflement, “from where?”
“From my world,” Yuya stated blatantly, blinking at how on earth she couldn’t have understood that. Yuzu blinked back, looking under the bed again then back to Yuya.
He shrugged, the movement causing his wings to shudder. A small movement, but she almost gasped at how they shone in the faint light from the bedside table. “We didn’t really get along…”
“Who?”
“This guy I know. He’s a piece of work, never seen eye to eye. He’s a real monster you see, wants nothing but destruction.”
She nodded slowly, this was starting to get weird. Yuya continued, “This guy, Zarc, enjoys seeing others afraid of him. Most legends of ‘the monster under the bed’ or the ‘bogeyman’ start with him. At least the bloody ones. Truth is we aren’t actually like that.”
Yuzu said nothing as Yuya talked, she was half listening, half mesmerised by his voice. It had such a nice ring to it. “We call ourselves ‘monsters’ thanks to Zarc’s reputation earning us that title, but the truth is…” He smiled, his golden eyes dancing with happiness as he looked up at her, “We are guardians.”
“Guardians?” She echoed, raising an eyebrow, “So what, you’re my guardian?”
“Yep!” Yuya smiled, tapping his horns, “I was chosen to be yours, well I say ‘chosen’, but in truth I wanted to be your guardian.”
Yuzu felt herself blush and Yuya laughed, “I mean it!” He flushed and scratched the back of his neck a little sheepishly.
Yuzu’s brain was struggling, to say the least. “I’m sorry but I still don’t understand. Why were you dying not thirty seconds ago? This Zarc person impale you with a metal pole or something? Have you been living under my bed my entire life? How the hell does that even work? Why am I only seeing you now?”
Yuya held up his hands, “Woah slow down a little. That’s a lot of questions!”
She scrambled to her feet defiantly placing her hands on her hips, “And I expect them to be answered! Put yourself in my shoes Yuya! I wake up at 2am to a ‘monster’ dying on my bedroom floor. Ten seconds later he’s fine and telling me he’s been living under my bed and I haven’t even noticed!”
Yuya sighed, suddenly looking incredibly sad. Yuzu felt her heart clench up, “I—I’m sorry,” she began, backtracking on what she had said. Her brain racing at a thousand miles a minute.
Yuya just gave her a smile, but she could see the hurt behind his eyes, “No it’s okay, I get it… I just…” He sighed, sagging his shoulders slightly, “I’m sorry, I’ve never spoken to a human before…”
She smiled, “That’s okay, I’ve never spoken to a guardian.”
Yuya smiled and Yuzu blushed. He shrugged and turned away, “Zarc did impaled me with a pole. Trust me it’s as painful as it sounds.” He sighed, “As for your other questions, yes, I have been watching over you for your entire life, as for ‘living under the bed’ no not really. I’m more of a spirit if that makes any sense. I don’t physically live under your bed.”
“You don’t?”
“Of course not! Just look under there! How do you expect me to fit these under there?” He gestured to his wings, “No, it is far more convenient to live in your closet.”
Yuzu felt her blush deepen, “Wait—Wait you don’t mean!”
Yuya grinned, “And that’s my cue to leave.”
“Wait what? You…”
“Shh Yuzu, it’s okay.” Yuya smiled gently, “Even if you don’t see me, I’ll be there okay? I’ll never leave you alone again.”
Yuzu felt her eyes begin to droop and Yuya smiled again, catching her as her knees gave out, sweeping her up into his arms and looking down fondly with his golden eyes. “I’ll always be there for you Yuzu, no matter what.”
“N—no…” Yuzu began but her eyelids drooped again, slowly she reached up, an effort with her slowing brain, placing her hand on Yuya’s cheek. “Yu—ya… I…”
“Hush now, it’s okay, we’ll meet again sometime, but for now, you should get some sleep.”
“I… love…” Yuya looked down in surprise and Yuzu curled her mouth into a smile, “I love you…” She whispered into his chest, before her consciousness slipped under, and into the sweet embrace of sleep.
Yuya stood stunned for a second, then he smiled, looking down to the sleeping girl in his arms. “Just like Beauty and the Beast huh Yuzu?” Placing her gently back into the bed.
He had lied. He had lied about being her guardian. He wasn’t a monster, but he was a demon.
He also had lied about never having met her before. In truth, this was the seventh time they had met. Seventh time he had met the girl he loved and wished to be with.
But she was a human, he was a demon. A spirit, destined to be forgotten each time she closed her eyes. She wouldn’t remember him in the morning.
He sighed and pulled the covers up around her, careful not to scratch her skin with his talons. He stroked her cheek with the back of his finger.
“You ready to go?” Yuya smiled, tucking a strand of red hair behind his ear before turning to face Zarc as he emerged from the shadows. His black wings tipped with green, shimmering like the night sky in the dark.
“Mm, I think so.”
“You called me the bad guy again! You stabbed yourself to make her see you, it had nothing to do with me ‘impaling you with a pole’! Way to be dramatic!”
“What can I say, I’m a storyteller, it’s my craft.” He wiggled his taloned fingers, “Admit it, she looks like your Ray, doesn’t she? That’s why you don’t want me saying that you’re a big bad monster!”
Zarc pouted, “Whatever, say your goodbyes, everyone’s waiting.”
“I know,” Yuya grinned at Zarc’s annoyance before turning back to the sleeping girl. “How long do I have?”
Zarc sighed, throwing his own claws in the air, “About five minutes, the sun will be up soon, we don’t want to be in the physical world when it does.”
Yuya nodded solemnly, slowly he stroked Yuzu’s cheek again before leaning down, planting a kiss on her lips.
“I love you too Yuzu. Until our next meeting.”
With that, Yuya turned off the light, following Zarc into the shadows. The two demons vanishing back into the dark.
Softly, the girl in the bed slept, her breathing slow and peaceful. While images of a boy with tomato shaped hair, wings and a brilliant smile gently faded, as if he had never been there in the first place. As if he had been nothing but a dream.
And yet, as Yuzu woke to a damp pillow and tears in her eyes, she couldn’t help but wish that he had been real. That she could see him again, if only for a moment, even if he was nothing but a figment of her imagination.
Yuya smiled sadly, pressing his translucent fingers to her face, trying to wipe away the tears. Only able to hope that one day, she would be able to feel it.