Chapter 1: Chapter One
Ray was twelve when she met her big guy. If you really wanted to know how they've met, the first thing you should know is her childhood.
Ray had always been the weird kid around the neighborhood, other kids constantly called her nicknames like "creepy Ray, looney girl".
Rachel was her name, but her mother called her Ray for short and thought it was cute for her; and she's not creepy nor is she weird, she was just too quiet, too calm for a kid around her age, too bold as well.
She was observant and a good judge of character, a bit too smart for her own good, a precocious child.
Ray once got a detention when she was seven for fighting, the rich kid Chris and his dawgs bullied her - like always - this time she got angry and fought back, leaving a long, bloody scar on Chris's face and other kids screamed, reported her to the teacher. They grinned when she got scolded in the teacher's office, but she just stood there blank-faced. It wasn't her fault, she didn't even flinch, because she knew her father would come and take her home, there was no reason to cry, the old hag - her teacher - just wanted her to be scared so she would behave.
Ray knew it.
The old hag said there was something wrong with her, she doesn't behave like a normal kid, but her father defended her.
There is nothing wrong about my daughter. Then her father took her home and left everyone there, just like she'd predicted. Ray was happy and she smiled at her with a smirk, the teacher felt great disrespect.
The very next day, that old hag told the whole faculty about what had happened. Nobody wanted to talk to her no more ever since. The brat Chris and his friends still tried to tease her, and the teachers just looked other way.
Well...since the fight, she at least was able to keep them at bay.
Ray lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere near the military air base, there was not much else to do, so she would go out to the woods in the summer almost everyday, to observe the animals, or speak to them and feed them, even though they didn't understand her, but she was lonely, and she realized she enjoyed the companionship, they don't judge.
She had a favorite hideout place that was less than three miles away from her house, secluded, no one really knew about it, she would hang out there for hours after school. It relaxed her, she could think and admire the blue skies, watch the military jets and planes soaring through the air. Once a year, in spring time, the base will practice parachute jumps, she would stare in awe, and her mind would drift far away to other places.
She had a flair for sports, she loved running through the woods and enjoyed breathing in the smell of nature, sweat makes her feel alive, it was her way of coping with the harsh reality throughout her childhood. She never went out to the woods alone at night though, she knew too well that it'd be too dangerous for a kid like her.
But that night Ray was so furious, she didn't care, and that night changed her life forever.
Her mother had brought home a medium-sized black cat one night as a gift, Ray was so happy and she named him Midnight.
She was perfectly aware of the purpose of the gift. Her mother knew she was lonely, and his parents were so busy with their jobs and her little brother Brandon, they felt bad and wanted to get her something to make her happy, and she did.
She cared for the cat, talked to him, fed him, they wandered in the forest together, they were inseparable. One day, Midnight brought home a mouse and dropped it at her feet, Ray didn't know why, but her mother got very annoyed, she screamed and got rid of the dead mouse in disgust. Ray never saw Midnight after that night, her mother gave him away.
She yelled and begged her mother to no avail, she locked herself in her room and cried. Mostly, she was mad at herself for the inability to protect Midnight, she was heartbroken, she felt part of her was missing, she missed him so much already and she couldn't breath, an urge to get away from here was so strong, she snuck out and ran for the forest.
The sun was setting, Ray could still see the pathway as the hot and humid air clung to her smooth, fair skin. And she kept on running, once at her spot she cried loudly, allowing the floodgate of her tears running freely. Nobody would come and disturb her here. Her cries were frantic, snot and tears mixed together on her pale face.
But her cry was interrupted when she heard footsteps.
"Hey, look what we have here?" A husky voice said to the man behind him.
Ray jerked her head in shock, seeing two figures garbed in the military uniform were staring at her, she quickly wiped her face with a hand and moved on to pass them.
It will be pitch dark soon, I need to get away from them ASAP. She calmed herself.
"What's the rush, you pretty thing?" A stocky man grabbed her arm and teased.
"Let me go! My parents will be here looking for me." Ray protested in anger. Her parents didn't really know she was here.
"I promise we will be quick." The other man smirked.
They had taken a shortcut to the south-gate entrance in a hurry to avoid being late reporting to duty after an unsuccessful attempt with the ladies they knew at the bar. Just as they were heading back to the base, they heard her crying. The stocky man was going to warn her, but that was until he saw her face. He hadn't seen a face that beautiful before. And being stuck in a base full of men, his long-neglected desire resurfaced again.
Ray knew that look, she read too many books to know what it means. Now she was scared. For real.
"I'm only twelve, you pigs!" She snarled back, trying to yank her arm out, but he was too strong.
"We are not gonna hurt you. Trust me, it will make you feel good. You can enjoy this if you behave." They tried to hold her down.
"NO!! Get off me!" She yelped, kicking them frantically.
Her protest did little to stop them, their grips on her unbreakable, and it only made them hornier. Her limbs were pinned to the ground now, all she could do was to cry and shout out in despair as they unbuckled their pants.
Why is this happening to me?
A sudden gust of wind sent her dark hair swaying, she felt the heavy weight on top of her body lifted before she could see anything. But there was nothing. Ray quickly got back onto her feet, swirling her head madly trying to figure out what just happened. Two men lay ten feet away from her, groaning on the ground, it seemed like something had hit them hard.
She froze, dared not to move an inch as she watched one man screamed, while the other wielding a knife to slash the thin air before them. They saw something, their faces turned into terror, but all Ray could see was one man got lifted up in midair, his hands chocking on his own throat, sent his legs flailing, and the other guy struggled to get up from the ground. It looked like some invisible supernatural force was attacking them, something you see from a horror movie.
A snapping sound followed when the man's neck broke, his lifeless body dropped before her eyes, and the other guy impaled by some sharp blades, she could see the shape of the object covered in blood glistening under the orange sunset glow.
Fear and confusion filled her head, everything happened so fast in a split second, she forgot to think, forgot to run.
Then a large figure abruptly appeared before her out of nowhere, she was transfixed with shock, she had to crane her neck up to take in the whole frame.
OMG, it is huge! She panted while standing there and gawked, her brain was trying to process what it was.
The man or woman had a metallic black mask covering the face, along with amour plates, wristblades, and fishnet underneath? Strange decorations on the upper torso, too. She didn't see the feminine features on the muscular chest.
No perky breasts, it's a man! She concluded, but it growled like a beast.
The deep auburn red skin with black speckles looked leathery like animal hide, she could see the visible scars on his exposed chest, his red color faded to a brownish hue around his abdomen and chest areas, and those thick, strong legs were like tree trunks.
Everything about him was strangely beautiful, yet powerful. Ray moved back a little, eyes locked back onto its face mask again, she was both amazed and terrified. He simply retracted his wrist blades, and did not attack her, for reasons unknown to her.
He saved me! Like a superhero in a mask in a comic book! She realized.
"Th- Thank you," her voice was raw and hoarse from the screaming, "for saving me." She added, still panting.
She somehow knew he wouldn't hurt her, otherwise she'd be dead already, he was the good one here, even though she was pretty sure he could break her spine with one stomp of his foot.
Ray watched him simply turned and walked away. Her gaze followed him curiously, watching him crouched by the bodies, the view was blocked from her with his large back, so she couldn't see what he was doing.
I should be scared and run. Ray thought to herself, then she saw his obsidian hair decorated with gold bands.
She didn't know what drove her to him, but next thing she knew she was right behind him, he was focusing on the dead bodies and completely ignoring her.
"Your hair is so pretty." She blurted out.
On her toes - he was still a bit taller than her when crouched down - she placed a small hand on his black hair gingerly and caressed.
So smooth! Next, a low purr ensued, emboldening her to grab a hold of his tresses and squeezed. She wanted to feel the texture.
That was when Ray knew she was in trouble.
He suddenly whipped his head to face her, sending his hair flying wildly, it slipped through her small hand and bounced back on his broad shoulder. He roared at her angrily, the eyeshields of his mask flashed red for a second.
"I- I'm sorry," Ray was taken aback and landed on her haunches with a loud thud. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
She swallowed her fear when seeing his clawed hands clenched into fists, even an idiot knew he was pissed. She regretted for her imprudence now, she might've hurt him since he was so different than her.
Hearing his chest expanded with deep growls. Ray scrambled to her feet and sprinted, crying loudly, she couldn't help but to look back at him over a shoulder. She saw him standing there watching her like a still statue. She tripped, Ray bit her bottom lip hard to swallow the pain, caused more tears to roll down her face, she groaned and got up again, staring back at him for a long moment, waiting with a bated breath. But he didn't follow her.
He let me go. A sigh of relief escaped her dry mouth.
Ray waved to him, shouted "thank you" again, then left.
At last, she crept into her room quietly like a mouse, heart pounding in her chest.
She woke up next day with red puffy eyes and sore limbs, she felt grumpy already. Suddenly, she jerked her head when all memories of yesterday came down on her, it was all so surreal.
What was that thing? Was I dreaming? She raised to sit up, but her hand felt something solid like a rock dug into her palm.
"Ouch!" She winced.
"Oh shit...it was all real, he was real!" She mumbled in shock, staring at the gold band resting in her palm, it was from his hair!
Ray jumped out of bed and walked in circles, excited, it fitted perfectly on her tiny thumb. She smiled and headed to the bathroom to clean herself as an idea crossed her mind.
The image of him was still vivid in her head, so she drew a picture of him saving her. Ray was bad at this, but it would do. She wrote down "THANK YOU" next to the drawing, pleased at her accomplishment.
She went back to the forest again wanted to show him her drawing.
"Look! I drew a picture of you!" She shouted cheerfully, holding the drawing high up in the air for him to see, she explained what the words meant.
"And this!" Ray opened her hand to show the ring on her thumb, waving it into the space.
"I will keep this with me forever and cherish it, I promise, it's our little secret." She smiled and rubbed the gold ring on her thumb gently.
Nothing was there, of course, except Ray. She was just talking to the empty space. Her big guy never showed up since that night, but it didn't matter, she had that feeling that he was out there watching over her.
An invisible friend, she rather believed. Loneliness could do that to a child.
Ray shared her days at school, things she learned, how she felt, her life, and she kept going back there almost every single day for the next three years, until she went to a boarding school.
It had been her mother's decision, and Ray couldn't get a say in this, no matter how hard she fought. She went back to the forest to say goodbye. She didn't know how long she'd be away, but promised she would come back.
Ray sobbed, coming here was part of her daily routine now, the thought of leaving here made her tears rolling down her pink cheeks while she caressed the ring nestling between her clavicles - Ray's body grew fast in her teenage years, it didn't fit on her thumb no more, now she wore the gold ring as a necklace.
Taking the full view into her eyes one more time, she left.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Admirable_Mairon
Admirable_Mairon Hi, I'm new here, not sure how to add tags, but if anyone's interested, you can find the complete story on my AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24700822/chapters/59698927
You can also find my sequel there, but it is currently a WIP.
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