Author's Note

Standing at the crowded stove of boiling pots and the smell of meaty curry rising into her nostrils, Hiro hummed a short melody to herself as she stirred the rice for another minute. Dinner was nearly complete which meant she would call Sae over. Unfortunately it was routine for her writing-addicted friend to doze off before deadlines. Grabbing her brown coat out of the closet, she ran back to turn the stove off. Her fear of burning the apartment complex down crumbled against her fear of a strong fire attracting Miyako to her dinner. Hiro picked up Sae's dinner off the table and placed a paper towel over it. Leaving the lights off, she would later find that to be a mistake.

Locking her door, her back to the brunt of the night's chilly winds, the same winds that caused Sae's door to creak whenever she left it open. And it was always open before a deadline. Quietly knocking, Hiro knew that never worked and walked into the dimly lit room, kicking her slippers off and feeling her hands burning under the plate.

"I could smell it. She'd always have dinner ready for me, even if I didn't ask. In the depths of my sleep, I could smell the warming, homely meal being laid out on the table, carefully covered with a paper towel of course. She'd never know how grateful I was for that, it was just dinner but…it felt like more, it tasted better than everything else. It was the one meal I would and could never miss."

Setting the plate gently onto the table, Hiro watched Sae's back rise in the chair with every silent breath. Papers were scattered about the desk except for the one story she would have to turn in. Sae's round cheeks and bagged eyes would press against the tabletop, never failing to tempt Hiro to lightly caress her.

"She thinks I don't know about what she does when I'm asleep. It was a mystery at first, why my bangs were never loose when I wake up, where these pleasant, soft, warm feelings on my cheeks would come from or why it felt like fingers were running through my hair as I slept. It gives me nice dreams. Those loving touches…"

Glancing over her dark haired friend's shoulder, she could see one particular story catch her eye. Carefully, she pulled it out from under Sae's arms, taking it to the couch with her. The dinner was always fresh so it needed time to cool down, the right amount of time to preview Sae's works. This story was titled "Author Note". Sae always had a way of naming her stories something plain that somehow caught your attention. Alone the titles gave you a feeling that you would never expect what was inside and tonight that feeling was never truer.

Her face reddened, her heart jumped at the first line. Sae, petrified but aware, could hear small peeps from Hiro behind her. A smile slid across her tightened face; it was enough to wake her up but not to open her eyes. Hiro quietly flipped the paper over, reading the other side. The words painted her red all over, to finish was to lose one's self in the story. Putting the paper down, she walked up to the dinner and poked it. It was ready.

"Waking me up, she always did it softly. Sleeping was good but waking up was great."

Slipping the paper back onto the desk, Hiro then rubbed Sae's back with one warm hand. "Sae, wake up. I brought dinner over."

Sliding her arms against her eyes, Sae yawned, smelling the curry in the distance. She could hardly speak, nothing but mumbles would come out the first few minutes. Hiro knew this from the countless nights she came over. Nearly dropping out of her chair, Sae felt Hiro's hand grab her arm and guide her to the table. "Mmmhumm….thmmm…hiii…"

"Just relax and eat," Hiro calmly suggested, softly pushing her hands onto Sae's shoulders to tell her to sit down.

"Every time I wake up I'm like a zombie. I can't speak right and sometimes I might even fall. When I do the first thing she does is come to my aid, lifting me up and checking for any scratches or bump. Then she giggles when I'm alright. I know it's okay to eat when a heated wind hits my face. It means the paper towel was lifted and I'm sitting."

Sae grabbed the chopsticks where they usually were, to the right of the plate and popped the first bite into her mouth. Hiro sat adjacent to her, watching Sae chew away and swallow at the meal. She could tell from the vanishing bags and growing smile that Sae was slowly waking up with every bite. "Thanks…" Sae tiredly mumbled. "This is delicious."

"You're finally waking up. I'll wait until you're done though so just eat up."

"Thanks…"

"Waiting for me to wake up completely, even your parents don't do that for you. I've never told her, because I'm too shy, but I'm grateful for the life I live, especially the one I live with her. She quickly became more than a neighbor to me and I could tell it was the same for her. Blurred but I could see it, her smiling as she watched me eat, in those eyes I felt like she was wishing good fortunes on me almost all of them time. I wish I could pay her back but I can't cook as well and my job doesn't pay me too much. I feel like trouble to her but…I know I'll think of a way soon.

Sae cleared the plate, leaving a few grains on her cheek. Hiro took the plate away and left it in the sink, grabbing a paper towel while she was there. Kneeling next to Sae, she would wipe away the crumbs off her face, ending it with a hug or discreet kiss on the cheek. Sae never seemed to talk or ask about this the day after so she continued to do it.

"For now, the night would take it's usual direction, I either wake up completely and be with her until I fell asleep again or just fall back to sleep, sometimes with a coat on me or on her lap. She's a little worried about her weight so I wish I could rest my head against her soft stomach but she'd probably feel nervous about it."

Tonight, Hiro made the decision, pulling the weary Sae down onto her lap, pulling a blanket off the bed and laying it over her friend. Peacefully closing her eyes, Sae allowed the night to end like this, Hiro's legs as her pillows. "Here," Hiro said, pulling Sae closer to her. She didn't stop until she could feel a head against her belly. "I know you would prefer this."

"Hiro…"

She blushed again, petting the blue bush of hair on her lap. Carefully sliding the glasses off Sae's face, she closed them and placed them on the table, returning to her petting immediately. Everything was done with such a gentle, slow rhythm. Hiro was that kind of person, always comforting Sae and not moving too fast or suddenly for her at these weary times. "Sae…I read your story."

Sae closed her eyes, nuzzling her nose further into Hiro's stomach, and almost preemptively, wrapped her arms around it. "Which one?"

"The one I hope you don't turn into your editor," Hiro giggled. "That's just...for you and me."

"I see. Guess you did read it," Sae said, smiling. Hiro could see it, popping from the sides. "Sae, did you want me to read it? Did you leave it out on purpose?"

Feeling the embrace of sleep tug at her eyes, Sae curled her legs up beneath the covers, pulling them up so Hiro had enough as well. "I'm too shy to say it you know. Writing is what I do best."

"It is. But your cooking isn't really that bad."