Page 95 of A Soul to Touch

She folded her arms across her chest and threw one hip to the side. “Then no. At some point, even while you’re here, I’m going to start baiting them again. I’m a Demonslayer in spirit, even if I’m no longer one in name.”

“Mayumi,”he warned, but she just threw her hand up and walked to her porch.

“Don’t fight me on this, Faunus. I said you could protect me, and you’re welcome to do so, but there are certain things I still want to be able to do.”

Actually, she was hoping with him around, she could kill a whole fucking load of them! The idea of that made her grin so wide her cheeks hurt.

“Fine.”

A little disgruntled, Faunus followed Mayumi to her porch. At the bottom step, he reached his arm backwards and clawed at the multiple bags slung across his back to pull them from his body.

He changed his form into his more humanoid one so he could assist in bringing them inside. He was without his clothing as Mayumi claimed she’d ‘misplaced’ them.

Since she’d removed her painful barrier when he’d returned, he was given free access inside.

She makes little sense,he thought with a grumble as he went inside after her.Wouldn’t most humans seek permanent protection for their homes?

He thought she would have made her home secure and found other, safer ways to hunt Demons. Luring them to the very place she resided seemed unsound of mind.

He didn’t like it, but Faunus knew if he tried to intervene, his relationship with Mayumi – whatever this was – could change just as abruptly as it had started.

“Here, I’ll take the bags and put everything away,” she offered after removing her jacket and holding her hands out for them.

I don’t wish for her to discard me.He refused to give her the bags and just handed her random items to assist her in any way he could.I have seen humans discard each other.

Faunus held multiple fruits and vegetables in his large palm, caging them in with his fingers and claws. When she took them so she could place them on her food rack, he dug into a bag and grabbed another assortment of food.

He watched her, his gaze never leaving this strong, capable, yet undoubtedly beautiful female as she went about putting everything away.

He didn’t wish to disillusion himself with the reality of what was between them. She desired him, that he knew for certain, but they never seemed to be much more than that.

It was the same for other human couples he’d seen.

Out of curiosity, Faunus had lingered to watch a particular female who enjoyed having... different partners in her home. The men always left, sometimes more than one, but she never seemed inclined to have them linger.

They usually just completed rather raunchy acts together before she’d wave at them from the door with this satisfied smile on her face. There had never been promises of more, had never been confessions of tender emotions.

Is Mayumi the same?

Would she eventually seek a new partner? He knew he was fulfilling some strange desire she had, but would she eventually grow tired of him?

I’m not human. I cannot give her some things she may want or seek.

He could never enter a human village with her. He couldn’t give her younglings or even kiss her since he had no lips. In comparison to her own kind, Faunus knew he was lacking.

It was selfish, but he didn’t want Mayumi to discard him for a human. He knew what marriage was, what a husband and wife were to each other. He could never be this, even if he wanted to.

I will never be able to bond with her.Even if Mayumi wanted to give him her soul, which he doubted, he still couldn’t obtain it.

This was as far as they could go.

Mayumi turned with a bright smile when she saw they’d completed their task together. Her warm expression towards him, when he’d seen her be cold, ate at his heart.But... I want her to... love me.

For just a moment, bright flamingo pink flashed in his orbs.

No!He quickly covered one eye socket as he pushed down the emotion, the feelings that were trying to grow, refusing to allow himself to feel even a flicker of that warm emotion towards her.I cannot. I won’t.

She’d already turned away from him before she could see, beginning to cut up some carrots, potatoes, and various other vegetables he couldn’t name. She’d obtained a small amount of meat but threw it into the pot to boil and then removed its wrapping. He’d told her to be careful about any fresh meat around him, and she was taking that into consideration.

---