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Vincent was finally over a past relationship. It was a turbulent time for him, and now that he was free, he wanted to restart, have a new life. Vincent decided to move from an apartment in a big city to a comfy house in the forest. An unusual choice that reflected his desire for change. Surprisingly, moving to his new house didn't take longer than expected. Vincent was in no hurry and had all the time available.
Although the nearest village was some hours from him, he still had a neighbor. The man was called Ryo Kiritani. He was notably strong and usually dressed in a black leather jacket that matched his hair color. His wardrobe seemed to have only black and blue colored clothes with a touch of a certain alternative style.
Vincent closed the cabin's door and lifted his head up. He smiled at the sight of Kiritani and waved. Despite the intimidating look, he still wanted to befriend his neighbor for the sake of good sociability. As Vincent got closer, the other man stopped and stared with an unamused expression.
"Hello, Monsieur... My name is Vincent." Vincent's voice carried an unsure tone. "I didn't have the chance to introduce myself earlier."
Unfortunately, this Kiritani guy wasn't a fan of small talk.
"Yeah... Take your time settling in." Vincent soon realized that the chat wouldn't get too far from his brief introduction and Kiritani's answer that wouldn't even count as a welcoming. One thing Vincent noticed was how observant his weird neighbor was. Every move, even the slightest, caught his attention. Ryo's piercing gaze was intense; no word was needed to understand that was his territory.
Vincent went back to his house after the failed attempt to have a conversation with the man. He opened the wooden fence that allowed access to the garden and entered the place. Before moving, Vincent had decided to start growing vegetables. That way, he would not need to drive a long distance to buy his ingredients every time, and besides, it would also be therapeutic to have something to take care of.
A week later, Vincent was done settling in and was already getting used to his new house. However, he still hasn't progressed with the neighbor. Frustrating. That was the best word he could use to describe the feeling. Although he tried, Kiritani was a serious, reserved man; it was hard to even make the conversation flow with the guy.
That night, Vincent noticed a black wolf around his house when he was in his garden. Terrified, he ran back to the inside of his house and locked the door. He ran upstairs and went to his bedroom. That was his first time being face-to-face with a wolf, and he totally underestimated the size of it. He wouldn't dare try his luck dealing with an animal he knew he couldn't fight.
Vincent got out of his house at 8 AM. In his hands, he had a recipient with some shredded meat sandwiches. His neighbor could be a little easier to befriend if he was bellyful, right? Vincent thought. Maybe Monsieur Kiritani was just in a bad mood the day they met each other. He knocked on the door and waited for the man to open it. Earning a suspicious glance from Ryo, Vincent handed him the recipient.
"Good morning, Monsieur." His neighbor didn't answer. "I made those sandwiches this morning and thought of sharing them."
Kiritani thanked Vincent and opened the lid to take a look at the food. They looked really appetizing.
"I saw a wolf yesterday, so I thought of telling you... Just to let you know." Vincent went straight to the point. He wanted to warn Kiritani about it and maybe gain his trust since it was useful information.
"We are in a forest area, they live here." Kiritani answered, skeptical. His answer made Vincent feel silly.
"Non, the wolf was too close to my fence, only a few meters away." Vincent had a worried tone in his voice. He didn't understand how they weren't sharing the same concern.
Kiritani stared in silence before a malicious grin formed on his face.
"I guess we'll have to be careful. We can't risk getting caught by the big bad wolf." Just when Vincent thought his neighbor was starting to understand, he was met with that sarcastic comment. Vincent made an extra effort to not roll his eyes in front of the man.
Annoying. Disrespectful even.
"Your sunny demeanor is being so helpful!" Another grin appeared on Ryo's face. "Anyway, I better go home now. Have a good day, Monsieur."
The sun set, giving way to the moonlight, which illuminated the snow that had fallen on the ground. But the wolf didn't appear this time. It was like it heard him talking to his neighbor and decided to not show up on purpose. Vincent found it funny; however, he was a little scared of giving Kiritani a bad impression of himself and being seen as a liar. Carefully, he placed his glasses on the nightstand and settled into his bed, ready to go to sleep.
In the morning, Vincent heard a knock at the door. He quickly fixed his black turtleneck sweater and walked to the door. When he opened it, his neighbor was standing there with the recipient in hand. He had washed it to return it clean. Ryo handed the plastic container and muttered a compliment.
"Thank you... For the food." Vincent nodded and held the recipient with one hand.
"You know" Ryo hesitated for a moment. "There is nothing to be afraid."
Vincent had a confused look on his face. He waited for the man to continue.
"I have dealt with wild animals before, I can handle them. If the wolf wanted to hurt you, I'm pretty sure it would have already. The wolf just wanted to take a look or something." Kiritani let out a chuckle at his last phrase. "But you can tell me when you see the wolf again... If you're scared."
"Thank you, Monsieur" Vincent smiled. "I appreciate your words." His accidentally darted towards Ryo's arms. The man in front of him noticed and fixed his posture, flustered.
"I'm going now... Bye. " Kiritani said quickly.
"Wait! Did you enjoy my food?" Vincent waited for the answer.
"It was good..." Ryo turned around and rushed to his house; it was clear that he got embarrassed. A slight sense of victory reached Vincent's mind. That was his turn to make Kiritani shy.
Their chat lasted longer than the previous ones. It was surprising to Vincent how those meat sandwiches managed to 'tame' his grumpy neighbor. Vincent closed the door and went to the kitchen to put the recipient away. Through the window, he stared at the trees, rewinding his chat with Kiritani in his mind. Vincent hoped to be able to get closer to him.
At night, Vincent went to his bedroom and looked at the window. There was something moving outside. The wolf. Circling his property again. But this time, instead of sniffing for food, it was just walking while paying attention to its surroundings; its movements showed a patrolling behavior.
The occurrence of the wolf's appearance aroused pure curiosity in Vincent. It was as if they had switched places; now, instead of fear, he wanted to investigate the reasons that led the wolf to appear nearby, just as the wolf approached with doubt initially.
Ryo inspected the scene from his door. He calmly walked towards his neighbor's house and leaned on the wooden fence, being careful not to poke his arm on the pointed end.
"What are you doing so much in this garden?" Ryo asked, genuinely curious.
"Oh, good morning, Monsi-" Vincent was interrupted by his neighbor.
"There's no need to keep calling me that; call me Ryo instead... And good morning too."
Vincent giggled. For some reason, the situation seemed funny in his eyes. The previous interaction might have appeared simple; however, it showed the possibility that his neighbor, who seemed so intimidating, could be friendly.
"I'm taking care of my vegetables; it is rentable and a great form of getting myself food." Vincent explained. As time went by, he became passionate about his garden. It brought him peace.
"Meat is better." Ryo said in an attempt to sound unimpressed, breaking his neighbor's expectation. He did find it interesting but couldn't risk losing his 'badass' reputation over plants.
"Well, I haven't found a cow-plant to have in my garden yet, but I appreciate your advice." Vincent just had to answer sarcastically. He would not let slander to his precious vegetables slide.
Ryo jumped over the fence carefully not to bump into the crops and squatted in front of a raised bed. In silence, he watched the plants. He tried to understand on his own the emotional value they carried. Vincent always took impeccable care of his garden, watering it, nourishing it, and removing weeds if they appeared, always keeping the crops healthy and strong. Certainly, it was very important to Vincent, but for Ryo, they were just plants.
"What are you growing?" Ryo's gaze was different. His demeanor was peaceful, showing no threat. However, his eyes were intense, carrying the cold and sharp gaze of a predator that had hidden in the shadows and was calculating the exact moment to attack its clueless prey. At the same time the unsettling glare alarmed Vincent, it allured him to get closer to Ryo, unleashing his curiosity.
Vincent snapped out of the trance with a blink of an eye.
"For now I'm focusing on carrots, kale, and some other vegetables that can survive winter." Ryo's question was all he needed to start bragging about his gardening skills.
Teasing each other and making sarcastic comments was the way the two managed to develop an actual friendship. They weren't best friends, but they often talked to each other now. The coexistence of both improved noticeably, but Ryo did not lose his somewhat grumpy manner.
Vincent could be found in his garden, organizing the plant pots, when his mind suddenly became alert. Something felt wrong. A weird silence hung in the air; the birds weren't chirping anymore. The wind, which before shook the pine leaves and blew a cold breeze down his spine, was now absent.
The feeling of being observed hit him like a train. He lifted his head and immediately spotted a large grey wolf some meters away from the house. Its gaze sent shivers down his spine. The wolf had a stiff posture, standing tall and baring its teeth at Vincent. The animal vocalized a guttural sound, and its intention was clear: attacking him, for whatever reason.
Vincent slowly stood up and tried getting near the garden's fence. His hands were shaking intensely, making the simple action of opening the gate impossible. When he finally got out, Vincent tried rushing to reach the door. Instant regret. Turning his back to the wolf was the stupidest idea he ever had.
He turned around to glance at the beast; he didn't expect it to be so close to him. The amount of despair running through his mind caused him to make the worst decisions he could in that moment. The wolf attacked Vincent, going for his abdomen. It was his end, Vincent thought.
Until a familiar figure showed up. The black wolf jumped out of the shadows and attacked the other predator in order to protect him. On the ground, Vincent watched the fight while struggling. His sight oscillated between blurry and dark. The grey wolf left, forcing himself to accept the defeat as the black wolf refused to show any signs of surrender.
The last thing Vincent saw before fainting was his grey shirt stained red and... His neighbor running to him?
When he woke up, he had his abdomen bandaged. Ryo entered the room holding a bowl of soup, a cup of water, and painkillers.
"Bonjour, sleepyhead." Ryo pronounced the first word with a strong accent. "Is everything ok?"
Vincent's mind was spinning; he didn't understand how his neighbor appeared so fast or where the black wolf went. He scratched his head and stared at Ryo.
"Honestly, I don't know." Vincent laughed softly and sighed. "My body is so sore... And I don't remember much of yesterday."
Ryo sat beside Vincent on the bed and laid his back on a pillow. For a moment, he considered telling Vincent what had happened the previous night. Telling the truth.
"Rest. You can stay here as long as you need." He sighed. They shared a brief moment of silence before Vincent spoke.
"I remember a wolf attacked me when I was taking care of my crops..." Vincent's voice came out low. "But it wasn't the same wolf I told you about before."
Do you remember anything else?" Ryo replied after listening carefully to Vincent's report.
"The other wolf, the black one, appeared too, but he wasn't with that wolf." He had a confused look on his face.
"And when my vision was darkening, I remember seeing you running up to me, but I can't remember how you appeared. I also don't know where the black wolf went..." Concerned, Vincent stared at Ryo, hoping he had answers to his mental confusion. "I'm sorry, but I also don't know about the black wolf. I was too focused on taking you to my house, and the only thing I noticed was the grey wolf leaving." Ryo had decided to lie. Vincent was already weakened; having to deal with the fact that his neighbor is a werewolf would make him overwhelmed. Maybe when they get closer would be the best moment.
Vincent did not answer; instead, he just grabbed the spoon in the soup bowl and started eating.
"I will let you eat your soup in peace; call me if you need me."
Ryo got out of bed and headed to the bedroom door. Upon leaving, he closed the door and walked to the living room. The first thing Ryo did was leave the house and head towards the scene of the attack. He could not risk Vincent seeing wolf footprints turning into human footprints in the snow. With his foot, Ryo started to lightly mess up the snow to cover the footprints. Using a metal shovel, he piled up the bloodied snow and threw it into a garbage bag. Avoid it to attract other animals or to turn it into a hazard.
Upon returning home, Ryo went to his room and took a red handkerchief from his closet drawer. Showing it to Vincent, he approached the bed.
"Here, wrap it around your fence when you can. It is a tradition that means protection." Ryo lied. This tradition didn't exist. He intended to mark Vincent's house as his territory with his scent in the handkerchief in order to keep other wolves away. Since Ryo refused to mark it the traditional way, he had to find an alternative that didn't seem suspicious.
"Come to me every month so we can replace it and alternate between the two handkerchiefs I have." Ryo paused; he needed to quickly think of a justification for what he had just said.
"The tradition says that the more cloth alternatives a person has, the more protection they will have... I only have two, though; take care of it." Ryo cringed at his lie. He made a mental note of not acting impulsively on his plans again.
"You should have given me this when the black wolf went touring around my house." Vincent laughed at his own joke. "I'm not really a dog person, you know?"
Ryo put all the effort possible into avoiding not looking offended when hearing the last phrase.
"The black wolf doesn't seem to be a threat." A sharp and direct answer. "According to the way you described it to me, of course."
"Of course, wolf connoisseur." Ryo rolled his eyes at the comment.
Silence was present once again. It was no longer uncomfortable, but the slight feeling of emptiness was noticeable to both. The calm air of the environment was what brought the absence of restlessness and the desire to fill that emptiness with small talk. Keeping each other company was enough.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Ryo." What seemed like an eternity of quietude was interrupted by Vincent. "I don't want to be dramatic, but you saved my life."
For the first time, Ryo's gaze matched the expression on his face. He was relieved. Maybe because they were safe, maybe because his efforts were genuinely recognized. Either way, he conveyed tenderness.
"I couldn't just sit there and watch that happen." He smiled softly. "I guess I'm your hero."
It was taking too long. It wouldn't be Ryo if he didn't show off with his pride. Vincent didn't even know how to answer.
"This time I will let it slide, but don't get used to it." They giggled together.
The handkerchief was tied to the garden's fence as soon as Vincent went back to his home. It took approximately two weeks for Vincent to moderately recover from the wolf attack. The wounds were almost completely closed, but they would leave scars on his skin and in his mind. He became afraid of being alone in his garden; therefore, Ryo was always called to be there with him.
Ryo was no longer a strange neighbor or a friend; he was Vincent's companion. The affection they had for each other strengthened their bond. They now spent more time with each other, had meals together, and even slept in each other's houses.
One night, Vincent was ready to tuck himself in bed and decided to peek through the bedroom curtain, just like the old habit he had before. He was surprised by the sight of the black wolf rubbing its body against the wooden fence close to where the piece of cloth was tied. Suddenly, the wolf stopped and writhed before turning into Ryo.
Now everything made sense. Ryo's preference for meat. Why he was so calm after being informed that there was a wolf nearby. Why the wolf was patrolling his house after. How Ryo appeared so fast when the grey wolf chased Vincent. He quickly connected the dots. The cherry on top was realizing that the handkerchief was Ryo's way of claiming Vincent as his and warning others to not approach.
Vincent closed the curtain and laid down on his bed. Anxiety took over his body. It was too much to digest; he would clearly spend the whole night thinking about the situation.
During the week, while mentally preparing himself to deal with the fact that his neighbor was a werewolf, Vincent did his best to act normally in Ryo's presence. Thankfully, Ryo didn't seem to notice anything different.
They were lying on the couch in Vincent's house. After a glass of red wine, both were in a good mood; the atmosphere was light. Ryo playfully pulled Vincent to sit on top of him while they laughed.
"I have something to tell you..." Vincent put the tip of his index finger on his mouth. "I know what you are..." He giggled while adjusting himself to be in a more comfortable position.
"What? Madly in love with you?" Ryo tried guessing, biting his lower lip and glaring at Vincent's.
"A werewolf."