"I'll definitely protect you"

She grimly remembered the words Toma had said to her. It had only been a few minutes after Ikki's fangirls had attacked her with a pair of scissors, cutting approximately an inch of her hair off. Toma's golden eyes were still vigilantly darting from side to side, scanning the area. In one swift movement he had moved in closer to her, much more close than a friend would have. The wind carried the scent of his cologne and intertwined it between its airy tendrils, shrouding notes of cedar and leather around her.

She ran her delicate fingernails through her hair, pausing when she felt the sharp indent the scissors had made.

"Is it…noticeable?" She had asked him, her pale cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

He made her turn around so that her back was facing him. He examined her fully, and she felt the heat rush to her face as he wound his slender fingers slowly through her auburn-pink hair. She felt his intense gaze- his heightened senses, and wondered if he was getting nervous touching her like this. This thought made her flush an even redder shade, but she let it dwell in her mind for just a few more moments before letting it go. After all, it wasn't like she had any other memories to keep her company.

This made her think of Orion, and a small wave of annoyance pulsed through her body, but she chose not to let it show. He had hastily gone off to the heroine's house to check for any angry fangirl messages that might have popped up, saying that she and Toma could use some private time. When she had protested, he had simply brushed her words aside with a cheeky wink and bolted off with a speed that could only be explained by his supernatural form.

Meanwhile, she heard Toma exhale slowly, and this snapped her out of her daze. His hot breath tickled her ear, providing a contrast to the cold evening breeze that encased them. There was an awkward pause.

Then suddenly, he laughed.

Flustered, the heroine whirled around to hear him say,"It's not that bad." He had an annoyingly goofy smile spread across his face, much like a cartoon character.

"LIAR!" She was now frantically searching for something reflective nearby the street corner to see the damage for herself. Her sudden reaction only made him double over with a second dose of laughter. She put on the angriest pout that was physically possible, and he looked up at her, his wide eyes shiny with amusement.

Upon seeing her vulnerable expression, his face softened considerably. He reached out one of his hands and caught her by the arm as she was rushing towards a store window. She let out a small gasp as he pulled her in the opposite direction. Stumbling, she felt the all too familiar sensation of falling, but it was cut short when Toma's other arm pulled her into his tight embrace from behind.

"I'm sorry this had to happen," He lightly rested his head on her shoulder. "I should've protected you, and I failed at even that."

An unidentifiable tone had worked its way into his voice, and his voice had quivered ever so slightly towards the end. She didn't know if he was upset, or angry. Either or, she had a heart-wrenching desire to tell him that it was okay, that he wasn't at fault, that he could not control what had happened. But of course, she kept silent. She always had.

Toma's grip on her tightened, his hands curling up into fists. The heroine let out a small squeal of shock. Toma's voice was dark, and filled with raw emotion.

"No matter what, from now on I will always protect you. I will never let anything bad happen to you. I will be the person who you will want to be with."

The heroine smiled politely, and gave Toma a soft kiss. She looked into Toma's eyes, and saw no longer the warm, amber eyes of her childhood friend, but the hard, metallic stare of a stranger. Something had changed.