It was like a scene straight out of an anime. A bit too unrealistic to expect from the real world. But here it was. My crush, the ridiculously attractive loner who sat at the back of the class, was standing alone in the rain without an umbrella. Most of the time, I'd spy him sleeping at his desk. If he wasn't sleeping, he was usually staring absent-mindedly out the window. He'd throw me a smile if he ever caught me looking, sending my heart and nerves into a frenzy.

He squatted down at the edge of the sidewalk. Curiosity and intrigue got the best of me. I approached him quietly and saw that he was petting a rain-soaked cat.

"Hey there, Kiki," he said without looking up.

I was surprised he actually knew who I was. We had only really talked a few times, and even then it wasn't much.

"Hello Jason... Do you need help? You could use my umbrella if you need it..." I offered. The bus stop wasn't that far away. Plus, the rain might lessen by the time I get to my apartment. It would also give me an excuse to talk to him again.

"That's okay. I don't live very far away." He stood up with the little kitten in his hands. "This little guy could use an umbrella though. A tiny little umbrella for cats."

I laughed a little bit at the thought of a little tiny umbrella. I heard a car fast approaching and the horrible sound of it hitting the puddle directly behind me. I flinched as a wave of cold water soaked my backside.

"I-I should probably be going home," I stuttered. I was completely embarrassed.

"Wait, Kiki..."

My foot slipped off the wet sidewalk in my attempt to flee. My weight shifted to my ankle which caved into the concrete. Jason caught me before I could fall completely into the street.

I flinched as he pulled me back up. If I wasn't embarrassed before, I was now. I could feel my face growing bright red.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I said. He helped me to my feet, and I stumbled a bit. He looked at me with concern. "I-I think I might have hurt my ankle a little bit."

"I think I might have something to wrap it up. Do you want to go to my place?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that..."

"Kiki, you live on the complete other side of town, right? You need to take care of yourself or else it will get worse," he insisted.

"Okay, but...Ah!"

His arms swept out under me and lifted me up. He held me up in a bridal position and grunted as he shifted my weight in his arms.

"Jason, I'm really really sorry about this!" I said.

"Don't be. You can't help it. You need to think for yourself more. Besides, you're pretty light."

He carried me like that all the way to his apartment, which was just across the street. He opened the door and held me there for a moment.

"I think the first aid kit is in the closet, but you probably want to get cleaned up first. I'll lend you some of my clothes," he said. He set me down and helped walk me to the bathroom.

"Wait here," he said. He went and came out a moment later with a set of folded white clothes. "They'll be big, but they'll do temporarily. Towels are in the closet. Think you can handle it by yourself?"

I nodded quickly and held the clothes close. I tried not to think of the alternative: him taking a bath with me, his muscular, tan chest all sudsy and shiny, his gentle touch as he caressed and lathered my body.

"Okay, Kiki," he said lazily. He ruffled the wavy brown hair on the back of his head. His chest muscles flexed as he reached back. "Yell if you need anything."

I just kept nodding as I hobbled into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I slid to the floor. This was all happening. It wasn't my imagination getting the best of me again. I was in Jason Karpuski's apartment. And he was actually taking care of me.

I carefully stripped out of my half soaked clothes as the bath filled up with water. I slowly lowered myself into the delightfully warm water. You almost forget how cold you are until you're filled with the ecstasy of a warm bath.

I reveled in the bath for a while. Once I was the clean and the bath had calmed me down, I carefully stepped out. I found a towel and dried off, gingerly with my ankle. I put my underwear back on. They hadn't gotten too wet.

I handled Jason's clothes with delicately. They were the kind of soft that you could only get from gentle wear and many cycles of washing. I slipped them on and I was practically swimming in their comfort. The shirt had the gray face of a cat centered in the front.

There was a knock at the door. I scurried over to the handle. "I'm so sorry. Was I taking too long?" I asked while I fumbled with it.

I finally managed to get the door open and almost fell in the process. Jason was standing in the doorway. With no shirt. And a box.

"No. You could have taken your time. I found the first aid kit," he said, holding up the box.

"W-where did your shirt go?" I spluttered out.

Jason looked confused for a bit. "It was getting kind of uncomfortable, so I took it off."
I shut up then. I had made him sit around and wait for me in his wet clothes. I was the one intruding in his home.

Jason helped me to the couch in the living room where I could sit down and he could wrap up my ankle.

"Thank you for doing this," I said when he was halfway through wrapping my foot. "It's really nice of you, and it means a lot to me."

He looked up at me then away. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "It's not that big of a deal." He tucked the end of cloth into what he already wrapped. "I'm just...going to take a shower really quick. Then, I'll help you get home," he said.

I nodded, and he went off. I heard a soft mewling from the floor. I looked down to see that kitten from before. Jason must have brought him home in his backpack or something. The kitten was dry now. He jumped onto the cushions and meowed again. I petted its back, and he purred. He rubbed against the side of my leg and curled up. He yawned and settled into a catnap.

I couldn't really blame the little guy. The couch was really comfortable. And soft. And warm. I closed my eyes. These clothes really smelled like Jason. It was nice. I smiled to myself and leaned my head back.

I must have fallen asleep because I suddenly found myself waking up. How long was I out? I couldn't really tell. And what exactly was in my hand?

I froze. There was a hand in mine and a head on my shoulder. I turned ever so slightly and slowly to confirm my suspicions. Jason was sleeping next to me. His head was so close. I could hear his soft sleepy breaths.

I stiffened as I felt something on my lap. The kitten had sensed I was awake and crawled on top of me. He started meowing again, begging for attention. I couldn't move, so I tried to shush him as quietly as possible. I needed to figure out what I was going to do. The cat wasn't satisfied with me, so he went over to Jason's lap instead.

I heard the sudden intake of breath as Jason woke up. He lifted his head and turned towards me. "Hey," he said.

Crap, I hadn't figured out what I was going to say. All I could manage was a nervous smile.

Jason lifted his head. "Sorry. I fell asleep. You should have woken me up."
"It's no big deal," I said quietly.

Jason yawned. "You need to learn how to speak up for yourself so people don't take advantage of you like that."

"I really wouldn't call it 'taking advantage.' I fell asleep first. I'm the one who should be sorry," I managed to say.

"Here. Let's practice. We'll talk about things we don't like. I'll go first. I don't like..." He thought for a moment. "Jerks who try to control every aspect of your life. What about you?"

"Um...well, I don't think there's anybody who likes that," I replied.

Jason shook his head. "Let's try something easier. What sorts of things do you like? I like cats."

He started to pet the kitten on his lap.

"Anime," I said. "I like to watch anime."

He smiled then, happy I was starting to play along. "I like the sound of rain at night while falling asleep."

"I like the warmth of kotatsus on a chilly day," I said.

"What's a kotatsu?" Jason asked.

"It's a heated table with a heavy blanket," I said. "My family brings it out once it starts to get colder."

"That sounds nice," Jason said.

"Mmhmm," I murmured remembering the nostalgic feeling.

"I like how warm you are," he said.

Wait, what?

"I like how you go the extra mile for people," he continued. What in the world was happening? Was I dreaming? I was still asleep, right? "I like how cute you look, even though my clothes are huge on you. I like seeing you everyday in class. I like the shy look you give me whenever you see me watching you."

I tried to keep my breathing in check. This couldn't really be happening, could it?
"The truth is I really like you, Kiki." He looked at me and smiled. "I really like you a lot."

Pull yourself together, Kiki! This wasn't the time to freeze up now. "I...I like you, too!" I spluttered out. I could feel my face growing beat red. I felt like I was going to spontaneously combust, but I got it out there. "I've really liked you for a while now, and..."

My speech was interrupted. He was kissing me slowly and sweetly. His lips were gentle as they moved against mine.

"Sorry for interrupting," he said once he broke the kiss. "I just really wanted to kiss you."
I was shocked to silence.

"If I took it too fast, just tell me. If you want to take it slow, that's fine. I can do slow," Jason said nervously.

I sighed in relief. He might just be as nervous as I was. "It's fine. I actually really liked it."
Jason relaxed and gave me another lazy smile. He leaned in again and kissed me. This time I kissed him back.

"We should probably get you home. Unless you want to stay over for the night," he said.
My eye finally caught the clock on the wall. It was already 9:00.

"I've got to go home! I can't stay here... I mean, I don't want to..."

"Kiki, it's fine. Relax, honey. I was only teasing you." He kissed my forehead.

The kitten meowed again. Jason started to pet him. "It's a good thing Mister Whiskers came along. If it wasn't for him, I'd probably just let you pass by again."

I started to let Mister Whiskers as well. "Good kitty."

We left out a plate of milk for Mister Whiskers in Jason's apartment as we went hand and hand to the bus stop, sharing an umbrella in the rain.