Author Note: Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy is the soundtrack for this chapter; check it out.

Golden Eyes

Chapter 2: Strange

Yoko sped through the narrow streets of a nearby city. She was unreasonably anxious as she zoomed into the private parking garage and parked her bike in its usual place. She flipped her red hair over her shoulder as she swung herself off the bike.

"Finally," he stepped out of the shadows of a nearby concrete pillar.

She swallowed, shocked, as she always was, to see him alive and standing tall long after their first kiss.

She skipped to him, full of nerves and tension only he could dispel. His wide hands reached for her waist when she was close enough, pulling her the rest of the way up to him, flush against his body. His claws kneaded her waist and she steeled herself before bringing her hands up to encircle his neck and drawing his lips down to her own.

She shouldn't be afraid for his safety, shouldn't have a twinge of fear in the breath before every kiss, but she did.

Viral laughed and answered her question with a not-to-sober chuckle.

"'Just who the hell do you think I am?' All I could think was 'a stupid human, who is about to die.' How was I supposed to know he was going to be the start of everything? Simon couldn't have done it without Kamina. I wouldn't be here either. Shows you what I— Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that so…"

"Honestly? No, its fine, I'm the one who asked. Kamina didn't make that great an impression on me at first either. We used to bicker, constantly. But that was years ago. It's much easier to talk about him than…" Kittan. She didn't say it out loud, but she didn't have to Viral knew all of her personal losses.

"And he wasn't much better, so cocky," Yoko rolled her eyes, before letting them rest back on his golden ones. "I should go. I didn't mean to drink this much and I really should be going." She got up to leave, but teetered slightly. She wasn't sure if the heels or the wine were to blame.

"Where?" He asked abruptly, catching her hand as he did so.

"Home, to the school."

"You can't go all the way out there like this. Won't Leeron let you stay with him?" Viral let go of her hand, as if afraid his claws might hurt her exposed skin.

"He would if I asked him, but I'm not going to. I'll be fine on my own."

"No, you can stay with me." He stood and collected his suit jacket from the covered seat next to his own.

"I'll be fine," Yoko tried to storm ahead of the adamant Beastman. She was fine. But a moment later she caught her heal on her dress, stumbled, and would have fallen on her face if Viral hadn't been there to catch her.

She straightened, aware the clingy golden slip of a dress had been tugged further down her chest from the sudden pressure of his hand at her abdomen to catch her. He'd tugged her backwards, and as a result, her back was now pressed firm against his chest. Viral's other hand held hers. It was almost like a dance. Just much closer than the one they'd shared earlier on the dance floor. It was garnering attention.

Viral quickly stepped away, and for a moment, without the strength of his slight frame behind her, a wave of dizziness caused the room to wobble around her. Or perhaps that was her. It really had been such a long time since she'd drank. There just wasn't time with all those kids to teach.

"Yes, you'll be fine, obviously," Viral's voice dripped with sarcasm, before becoming serious once again. "Really, my place is much too large for my own needs. I have a spare room. It's never used. It will be no trouble at all."

Yoko nervously straightened her dress once more, taking a few more moments to consider. She had definitely drank more than she wanted to. Driving back home was out of the question. It was either pay to stay at a hotel, or take the Beastman up on his offer. Staying with Leeron was out of the question; he would badger too much about spending so much time with their very own immortal captain, and that was not something Yoko wanted to try and justify.

"Okay, let's go."

His eyes widened just slightly, as if shocked she'd actually agreed. "Fine, follow me."

Viral led her through the crowded convention hall, through the throngs of veterans and friends, most of whom were too drunk now from an excess of wine and food to worry about the great Yoko and the Beastman she was following out. The eyes of the few who did notice however, lingered on the clawed hand clasped around hers for stability. She noticed, and part of her wondered why, but the other parts were just ready to be gone and away from all of the people she couldn't be around without being reminded of those she'd lost.

They stopped briefly at the coat check for Yoko's messenger bag that contained her change of clothes for the ride home and not much else. She had to stare at it a whole minute before she recognized it as hers. It honestly had been a while since she'd picked out anything so flashy as her own…and the alcohol didn't help matters.

Viral's hands on her back and arm as he helped her into his car seemed warmer than before. "Excuse me," he muttered when he had to grab again at her arm to keep her from falling back out before he could shut the passenger door. He was a fuzzy blur, when he passed in front of the hood to his side. Viral got in quickly. He did things very efficiently. He operated his vehicle like he ran his Gunmen. He put on his seat belt, turned the key in the ignition, adjusted mirrors, settings, knobs, and turned on his lights.

Yoko felt herself sinking down in her seat but everything was moving, dizzy dances in front of her eyes and she was powerless to stop herself. She'd been so chatty with the Beastman earlier, drinking, but now…it was catching up to her.

But Viral was there, righting her. "Dammit. I should have thought to," he reached around her to grab her seat belt. His forearm brushed her chest on the way across her body to the buckle.

"Uh, sorry," he mumbled, cheeks heating. The color looked nice on his pale skin. Yoko noticed this oddly, like she noticed her chest, where his arm had brushed, tingled slightly. Her prominent breasts hadn't been touched, even accidentally, in ages.

It was strange. He wasn't even human.