It was like all other days for Lino. He was making progress with Sayori. It had almost been one whole month since Sayori had told him about her confrontation with a bully. Every day Sayori came to his house, and did her homework well hanging out. her spending so much time there she would usually stay for dinner. This was one such day.
"Sayori?"
"Yes?"
"You ok?"
"no."
When she said that I got up from where I was seated and walked up next to her. She looked down and hung her head, not wanting to make eye contact. I wrapped my arms around her waste, and picked her up. I walked to the stove with her still in my arms. She then got scared about me dropping her, and wrapped her legs around my waste well simultaneously tightening her grip on my shoulders. I turned the stove off, and made my way over to the sofa. Like a father with his crying child I sat down. Unmoving from our previous position I reached up and cupped the side if her face with one hand, and held the small of her back with the other.
"Sayori, look at me." I commanded gently. she finally gazed at me, well I stared back losing myself in her blue eyes, "What did they say?"
"They said you hated me, but when I told them you said otherwise they laughed in my face, and one of the girls punched me."
"Which one?" I asked as my jaw started to twitch. I was going to hurt who ever did this, and it was going to be bad. I slid my hand from her face to her hip, well I slowly traced it up her side stopping at her fourth rib from the bottom when she winced, "This the spot?"
"Yes." she confirmed with a cringe, "That's it."
"lift up your shirt." I commanded, "Just gonna take a look."
When she finished doing so I saw a large bruise the size of a baseball. I looked up to see Sayori blushing and wincing. I moved my finger to the tip of her rib and slowly pushed on it.
"Eep." she winced
"Well, at least it's not bruised."
"Good," she said with a smile, "I still have to walk home."
"Sorry, but I can't let you do that."
"What? Why?"
"Because I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing my friend walked home in pain, and I didn't do anything to help."
"Ok, thank god it's a Friday and clubs were canceled."
"Yes, that would have made this worse."
"Hay lino?" she quizzed, "What is this?"
Without noticing she had released my shoulders and had one hand on my left leg and the other on the middle of my back. What she was feeling was one of the many scars my father had so generously given me the nights he came home drunk.
"Nothing!" I said a bit too quickly, "Nothing at all."
"I showed you mine now you show me yours."
"alright." I sighed defeated. She did have a point, and I hated it.
As I moved to show her she stopped me and asked if we could sit like this when I was done showing her, and me liking Sayori and our intimate position agreed. With my back turned I removed my shirt. Sayori gasped and ran her fingers gingerly down my back and down my biceps. All of the places I had scars Sayori had gingerly touched without a word.
"Who did this to you, Lino?" She mused, "My god their every ware."
"My father."
"With what?"
"Some with a belt, some with his fists, and others with a knife."
She put both hands on my back before she rested her forehead in between my shoulder blades, and apologized. "Sorry, I didn't mean to push."
"No need, it's about time someone see how ugly I am."
"I love you."
"Sayori? Did you just say you loved me?"
"Yes."
"I... I love y-you too."
I pulled my shirt over my head and turned around to see Sayori's blue eyes filled with something new. She lunged and pulled me into a hug. The warmth was amazing. But looking at her was by far the best part.
"You gonna sleep in?"
"Damn right." I said and chukled
With that I slid down so my head was on the arm of the chair, and pulled Sayori farther up my body so her head was just below my chin.
When I woke in the living room Sayori was still asleep. I wrapped my arms around her and stud up. Not wanting to wake her I set her down on the couch and was about to stand and go shopping for somethings when two hands grabbed the back of my neck, and pulled my to her lips. We were like this for just a few blissful moments when she pulled away, and looked at me.
"Where ya going?"
"Get some stuff from the mall."
"Can I come?"
"If you promise to make this a regular thing."
"The mall or kisses?"
"The latter."
We made our way through the near empty streets, and arrived without incident. We split up and went are own ways in one of the clothe store.
"Hay, look it's that bitch from school." said an unknown voice "Time to continue with that stupid teacher interrupting."
I heard someone gasp and something drop, but I never thought about who it could have been. As I rounded a corner I say three girls around another girl. When I took a closer look I saw Sayori's preach colored hair and blue eyes filled with tears and another girl whispering in her ear.
"Sayori?"
"Oh look, her boyfriend." said the leader
I walked closer to the three girls around Sayori. I was not five feet from her when one of the girls took a step forward signaling me to stop. I stepped past her and she put her hand on my shoulder and and stopped me. Seeing Sayori crying with a few new marks on her arms and a red hand print on her face I lost it. I grabbed the hand on my shoulder twisted it 180 degrees, pulled her arm behind her, and pulled it as far as it would go. She was surprised when used it to shoved her against the wall, and deliver a swift blow to her cervical vertebra that would knock out even a hoarse. The second girl advanced and I swiftly kicked her in the ankle, elbowed her thigh and then the back of her head.
"I will deal with you later," I said with a voice able to chill even the fearless to the bone, "my focus is only on not frightening Sayori any more."
The leader grabbed her friends who were just walking up, and nearly ran out of the store.
"Sorry Sayori, didn't mean to scar you."
