A/N: Highly NSFW chapter ahead.
The two went back to their motel room, finding nothing at the apartments.
"That must not have been the place then..." Umi muttered to herself, disappointed in her wrong calculations. "It must be a building around that place." Eli tossed her badge onto a table and took off her blazer, wanting to be more comfortable now that she was out of the public eye.
"We must have missed something." Eli said plainly. Her phone, or at least of the ones she used, began to vibrate in her pocket. She looked at the caller ID, but didn't recognize it. She answered the phone, assuming it was the girl from earlier; Nozomi.
"Hello?" Eli said into the phone. Umi looked over at Eli strangely, wondering who she could be calling.
"Agent Hiraki? It's Nozomi." The voice responded from the other side.
"Need something?"
"I was just wondering if you'd like to eat somewhere with me tonight...but as I'm thinking now, you're probably too busy with your case... Sorry."
"Of course I will, I can push some time aside for you. When should I pick you up?"
"Hmm... Is seven okay with you?"
"Perfect. I'm looking forward to seeing you."
"Me too. See ya!" Nozomi replied. Eli could tell through the phone how happy she was and couldn't help but smile herself.
"Bye, Tojo-san." Eli ended the call and turned around to see Umi glaring at her.
"What was that just now?" She asked, annoyance weaved throughout her words. "You better not be going on a date." Eli scoffed, seeing as Umi knew exactly what she was doing.
"Of course not. I'm just going to follow on a potential lead on the case." Eli said to her. Umi sighed deeply, not believing a word Eli said.
"Eli, you already know getting close to others isn't a good idea because of what we do." Umi stated firmly.
"I know, I know. It won't happen, I promise."
"Good. I don't want you to hurt others, or maybe even yourself for that matter..." Eli sighed in response.
"Umi, it's alright. I've done this before and it turned out fine."
"Fine." Umi was still reluctant to believe her. "Just don't cause any added pain to them."
Eli hopped out of her car and began to walk towards Nozomi's door. She climbed the stairs to the second floor, where Nozomi's room was. She brushed some stray hairs from her ponytail out of her face as she approached her door. Eli knocked lightly on the door and took a step back, waiting for Nozomi to answer. Unlike earlier in the day, the door was opened almost immediately. Eli took in the sight of her. She was wearing a loose light blue dress shirt, all but the top two buttons buttoned, paired with a black skirt. Eli's outfit, simple jeans and a black t-shirt accompanied with a cargo jacket, seemed much more inferior.
"Ready to go?" Eli asked, looking into the girl's gorgeous emerald eyes. Something about them captivated Eli, more than any other has.
"Yup!" Nozomi stepped out of her apartment and locked the door. "There's this yakiniku place that opened up a week ago and I thought it would be a nice place to try today." Nozomi said, walking with Eli down to the parking lot. Eli hummed in response. It would be better than the cheap food she has been eating with Umi for the past couple days. As they came closer to Eli's car, Eli unlocked it and opened the passenger's door for Nozomi to enter.
"Oh, thank you, Hiraki-san." Nozomi said, acknowledging the act. Eli smiled in return before walking to the driver's seat. She slid into the car, put it in reverse, and drove out of the parking lot.
"Here, I have a navigator open so we know where to go." Nozomi held her phone up, angled towards Eli.
"Thanks, Tojo-san."
"Just 'Nozomi' is fine, Hiraki-san" Nozomi replied, smiling at her.
"Alright, Nozomi." Eli liked the way her name sounded coming from her mouth. "Call me 'Shizu' then as well."
"Shizu... That's a pretty name." Eli gave a half-hearted smile at her comment. What was being complimented, wasn't even actually hers.
"Thank you." Eli was silenced by Nozomi's phone navigator's instructions. She followed what the phone had to say, carefully switching lanes to be able to make the turn.
"It looks like we have about five more minutes until we get there, so let's chat a bit. You can ask me something if you'd like." Eli thought a moment at the request.
"Why do you live alone?"
"Oh, you think I would still be living with my parents?" Nozomi feigned insult.
"O-Of course not, I just would've thought you would be living with friends or something." Eli quickly justified, not wanting to upset Nozomi. Nozomi's laughter followed afterwards. Eli felt her face heat up, getting worked up over a tease, which didn't happen often.
"I was sent here by my mom after something happened with my family." Nozomi stated nonchalantly. "It's not that bad though. There's a lot more to do here."
"Oh... Aren't you scared to live alone with all this happening around you?" Eli asked gently. Nozomi let out a dry laughter.
"I'd say that I'm a pretty lucky person, but bad luck seems to like to follow me around. This sounds bad, but I think I've gotten used to it."
"I know how you feel..." Eli murmured.
"You have reached your destination." Nozomi's phone called out before she turned it off.
"Park over that way, the restaurant's right over there." Nozomi pointed out. Eli could see the restaurant, it's bright red name glowing in the night sky. Eli slowly drove to an empty spot and parked her car, managing to get one close to the restaurant. Eli got out of the car and waited for Nozomi, who had also started to get out of the car. She used her hand to signal Nozomi to continue walking so that she could follow behind. By the looks of the parking lot, the place must have been pretty popular. Eli hoped she didn't have to wait long in order to get a seat.
She followed behind Nozomi, her eyes slowly getting adjusted to the nighttime darkness. She focused on Nozomi's head in front of her, her purple hair tied into low twintails. She lowered her gaze as she admired the rest of her, noticing the sway in her walk. Eli smirked a bit at this and picked up her pace. As she walked aside her, she wrapped her arm around her waist, gently dragging her hand across her lower back from one side to the other, dropping her hand once she was a couple steps in front of her. Eli made her way to the restaurant's door and pulled it open for Nozomi.
"T-Thanks." She stuttered in her words. Now lit up with the lights of the restaurant, Eli could see the light blush on Nozomi's face. Sure, Eli has seen, and been with, a lot of cute girls before, but something was different about Nozomi. She wanted to continue to tease her and make her blush. Eli let go of the door and followed behind her. She looked around the restaurant, the tables filled with people. A few families were waiting as well.
"How many?" A waiter called from in front of her.
"Two." Eli replied simply as she continued to look around at the crowded tables. While it was crowded, the meat being grilled smelled delicious. Maybe having to wait would be worth it.
"Great, just this way. A table just opened up for two a few minutes ago." The waiter began to walk off into the main dining area, leaving Eli and Nozomi to follow. Eli began to follow the waiter, looking back at Nozomi to make sure she was as well. Eventually, they came to a table where their waiter was lighting the grill located in the middle of it. The two took their seats on opposite sides of each other, immediately handed the menu.
"Would you like any drinks to start you off?" The waiter asked, getting ready to write in their notepad.
"I'll have an Asahi and a water." Eli answered as she spotted the alcohol in the beverage section.
"I'm fine with just a water." Nozomi answered after Eli.
"Alright, I'll be back in a few with those drinks and then you can order." The waiter replied. He turned back around and disappeared into the kitchen. Eli browsed the menu, looking at all of the choices provided. She glanced up at Nozomi, curious go see what she would be looking at. Eli stifled a laughter. Nozomi was practically glowing with excitement and was quickly flipping through the pages of the menu.
"Eh? What's so funny?" Nozomi asked, completely oblivious to the way she had been acting.
"Oh, it's just that you look so excited right now, almost like a child." Eli answered, chucking softly.
"Why, of course! Yakiniku is my favorite food after all!" Nozomi exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement. Eli placed her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from laughing too much. At this time, the waiter walked back over to their table with a tray holding their drinks. Their drinks were placed in front of them.
"Ready to order?" The waiter asked the two. Eli looked at Nozomi, signaling her with her head to place her order first.
"I'll have the beef skirt, short ribs, and beef tongue." Eli stared at Nozomi with slight amusement, after all, that would be a lot of food for one person.
"And you, miss?" The waiter said once they were just about down writing down Nozomi's order.
"I'll have the pork belly and sweet potato."
"Alrighty. I'll take the menus later, just in case you choose to order more later on. I'll be back in a moment with your order." Eli looked back at Nozomi, who was sipping on her water from a straw. Eli suddenly remembered that she had drinks as well. She took her bottle of Asahi and poured it into her glass, tipping the glass to make sure the foam was kept to a minimum. Once it was transferred into the glass, Eli took a gulp of it.
"I've been thinking a bit and now I have a question for you, and I want you to be completely honest." She heard Nozomi say from in front of her. She set down her drink and looked back at Nozomi. Just by looking at her, she could tell something was troubling her.
"I'll answer anything you have for me, Nozomi." For some reason, Eli felt her heart start to beat a bit harder than before.
"What's your name?" Nozomi started. "Your real name." Eli furrowed her brows at Nozomi, not wanting to show her surprise at the question by instead acting as one would in this situation.
"Shizu Hiraki." Eli answered, much as she did with others before.
"I know you're not being honest. I really want to know the name of the gorgeous woman I'm eating my dinner with." Nozomi's gaze never left Eli's eyes. Eli didn't want to upset Nozomi, especially when things were looking good between them so far. It couldn't hurt to just tell Nozomi her real name, could it? Eli took another sip of her Asahi, still debating whether to tell her. The idea of Nozomi hating her came to mind; something her heart lurched at. That's what pushed her over the edge.
"My name is Eli." Eli finally answered after setting down her glass. Nozomi smiled brightly at the response.
"Well, it's nice to meet'cha, Eli!" Eli smiled half-heartedly at her. Because of this, there's bound to be more questions later. She knows how this goes. Eli looked over to the kitchen and noticed their waiter coming out with a tray holding their orders. The waiter made their way over to them and set down the separate plates on the table, along other silverware and dishes.
"There you ladies go. If you want anything else, just flag me down." Eli thanked the waiter and looked back at Nozomi. She already had a plate in her hand, tongs in the other, getting ready to start cooking the meat. Eli watched as Nozomi placed the meat onto the grill, immediately causing a loud sizzling. Instead of just watching her, Eli decided to start cooking her food as well. She placed some of her pork belly and sweet potato onto the grill as well.
"So Eli, I'm assuming you're not really FBI either?" Nozomi said, starting a conversation once again. Eli glanced up at Nozomi, who still was focused on the meat being grilled in front of her. There wasn't any sign of her being bothered by the fact she wasn't actually FBI.
"I am not." Eli confirmed. Again, Nozomi didn't seem phased by the answer. "Do you dislike me now?" Eli asked, a bit worried herself. At this point Nozomi's eyes met Eli's.
"Of course not. I feel nothing but good feelings coming from you. I can tell you're a kind and helpful person, so I completely trust you. You probably have a good reason to be saying these things and you don't need to tell me it. I'll respect that." Eli was surprised from the response. She felt her cheeks heat up, so she looked back down towards the grill and began flipping her food. She hardly ever became flustered, so why now?
Once the food was flipped, she took another couple sips of her Asahi. Eli knew herself to be extremely tolerant to alcohol, but still came to the conclusion she was acting the way she was because of the influence of the drink. She took her grilled pork and sweet potato off the grill and on to a clean plate, replacing their spots with the raw ones. She took her chopsticks to pick up a sweet potato and bite into it. She watched as Nozomi did the same, taking off the cooked meat and replacing them with raw meat. She then excitedly ate the grilled meat, satisfaction shown clearly on her face.
"You really do love yakiniku, don't you?" Eli joked lightly. Nozomi answered by nodding furiously, seeing she had food in her mouth.
"Would'ya like to try some of mine?" Nozomi asked once she had swallowed the food in her mouth.
"Sure. Would you like to have some of mine then as well?" Eli replied.
"Of course!" Nozomi answered back, picking up a piece of meat with her chopsticks. "Now, say ah~" Nozomi held the meat in front of Eli, expecting her to eat from her chopsticks.
"I know how to feed myself..."
"Come on~ I want to feed you." Nozomi pouted. Eli closed her eyes with a sigh and reluctantly ate the beef on Nozomi's chopsticks, a slight blush adorning her face. Eli chewed the beef, eyes still closed, the sizzling of the grill getting louder as Nozomi flipped the food to prevent it from burning.
"Eli-san~" Nozomi called in a sing-song voice, successfully catching Eli's attention. "May I try some of yours now?" With the face Nozomi made afterwards, there was no way Eli could say no. With her chopsticks, Eli took some of her pork belly and lifted it close to Nozomi's mouth, who gladly accepted it.
"Ahhh, grilled meat really is the best."
Eli and Nozomi had both managed to finish all their ordered food, Eli just barely having enough stomach space. It was a mystery as to how Nozomi ate all of hers.
"That was delicious..." Nozomi sighed happily. Eli hummed in response as she took another sip of her water, long finished with her Asahi.
"When the waiter comes back, do you want to order a dessert?" Eli asked Nozomi. "I'm planning on getting a chocolate ice cream." Chocolate was Eli's guilty pleasure. It was the flavor she always ordered and what she always made Umi buy for her.
"Then I'll keep it simple and go with a vanilla." Nozomi replied.
"Alright. I'll order it and get the check then." Eli looked around the room for their waiter. She spotted him a couple tables down, serving another group of people. Once the waiter turned around, she waved her hand in the air to catch his attention, which was proven to work when he started the walk towards her.
"Would you like to order anything else?" He asked, looking between the two.
"I would like a chocolate ice cream and she would like a vanilla one. Can we get the check as well?"
"Of course. I'll have those out to you in a minute." Once again, the waiter went off.
"Just to let you know, I'm not going to let you pay." Nozomi told Eli. "After all, I was the one who offered to take you out tonight." Eli knew she couldn't just let Nozomi pay for the entirety of the meal either, seeing the money she used wasn't exactly hers.
"Let's spilt the tab then. I would feel bad if you had to pay for everything as well."
"But I-" Nozomi began before Eli cut her off.
"Nope. We're splitting the tab, and you can't stop me." Eli stated, ending the debate.
"Geez, you're stubborn, aren't you?" Nozomi sighed, although there was a small smile on her face.
Within a couple minutes, the waiter came back with their desserts and check. The two enjoyed their ice cream after a very filling meal of yakiniku. Once the waiter returned with their cards and they were finished with their ice creams, the two got back in Eli's car and began to drive back to Nozomi's apartment.
"So Eli, if you're not a FBI agent, what do you do for a living?" Nozomi asked from besides her. Although Eli's eyes were focused on the road in front of her, she knew Nozomi was looking at her. She knew she wasn't obliged to tell Nozomi, as most people didn't need to know what she knew. Telling someone that monsters exist and she was one of the people that hunted them doesn't really work well most often. However, something about Nozomi made her feel like she would be able to tell her.
"This sounds crazy, and it kind of is..." Eli began with a sigh. "but monsters exist. My friend, Umi, and I are some of the people that hunt the ones that go bad." A silence followed afterwards, but it was what was expected after finding out something so drastic.
"Monsters...?" Nozomi spoke quietly.
"Yea. Name any one and I can probably tell you that it exists."
"Isn't it dangerous? You're putting yourself up against things that can kill you within seconds."
"Oh, you're worried about me?" Eli teased, trying to lighten up the mood a bit.
"We-Well, of course! It must be terrifying to live like that." Nozomi responded with a slight stutter in her voice. Eli assumed it was from embarrassment. Eli chuckled at the response before deciding to actually answer the question.
"It is dangerous work, but if we don't do it, who else will? I'm willing to put my life in danger to save the lives of many more." Eli said, now more serious.
"I'm guessing it's not really a paying job either?"
"Of course not. Over half the population isn't even aware that monsters actually exist."
"That's really respectable of you. It must be a hard life having to keep all these secrets and not even being noticed for the things you do..." Nozomi said softly. Eli smiled.
"It's not that bad, after all, I was able to meet you." Eli was surprised when Nozomi began to laugh afterwards. "W-What? Did I say something strange?"
"It's just that... that was a cheesy line." Nozomi got out between laughs. "I'm sorry, Elicchi."
"Elicchi?" Eli asked, confused with the sudden introduction of a nickname.
"Oops. It's something I do with my friends, so I guess I just did it out of instinct."
"It's fine, I like it actually. No one has ever really given me a nickname."
"So I'm the first, huh~" Nozomi said in accomplishment.
"Mhm. I guess you are." Eli replied, focusing as she took a turn towards Nozomi's apartment.
"I have another question for you, Elicchi."
"Ask away." Eli had no problems answering her questions, seeing she probably had a lot for her now.
"If you were at my apartment complex dressed as the FBI, doesn't that mean you're on a case?" As Eli heard the question, she knew there was no way around it, but she didn't want Nozomi to be afraid of living in her own home.
"I am; a ghost case. If you want, I can explain some of the simple things if you feel unsafe."
"That would be nice..."
"Well, first of all, salt circles keeps ghosts out. Salt is a pure substance which repels evil spirits." Eli stated, now turning into the apartment complex's parking lot. "Secondly, when a ghost comes in contact with iron, it dissipates, buying you some time to get away." Eli parked the car and looked over at Nozomi.
"Thanks, Elicchi. I enjoyed tonight, no matter how strange it turned out to be."
"I'll walk you inside?"
"I would appreciate it." Nozomi replied with a smile. Nozomi and Eli both got out of the car and began to walk to Nozomi's room. Outside was dark, only lit up by streetlights and the building's lights, but it was something Eli got used to after having to deal with 'creatures of the night' for so long. Eli followed Nozomi up the stairs to the second floor, where her room was. The lights above each room made it possible for them to see the room numbers and find the proper room. Soon enough, Nozomi found hers and unlocked the door with the keys taken from her purse. Nozomi walked inside her apartment, turning around the face Eli.
"Tonight was really nice..." Nozomi said, her emerald eyes now focused on Eli's sapphire ones. There was a tinge of something very familiar in Nozomi's eyes. Eli has seen in it plenty of girl's eyes before, but seeing it in her eyes was much more rushing.
"It was..." Eli replied back. A silence followed between the two as they maintained their eye contact. Almost like a flip was suddenly switched, Eli pushed her way into Nozomi's apartment, pressing her lips against Nozomi's. Nozomi, not phased at all by the sudden action, kissed Eli back, just as forcefully as Eli did to start. Eli kicked the door closed behind her, her hands busy trailing up and down Nozomi's body. Nozomi quickly flicked the light switch on to be able to navigate safely though the hallway before attempting to remove Eli's jacket. Eli assisted Nozomi and discarded the jacket somewhere behind her. The two slowly made their way towards the bedroom, the intensity of the kiss only getting larger with each step.
Eli only broke the kiss to take off her own shirt, not giving a care where it landed. Nozomi took Eli's hand and pulled her into her room, turning on the lights as she did so. Nozomi turned around to face Eli, only to be pushed down into her bed. Eli climbed onto the bed and straddled Nozomi's hips. She planted kissed all over Nozomi's neck, Nozomi tilting her head to make the area more accessible. Eli's hands moved down the the buttons of Nozomi's shirt, wanting to remove the pieces of clothing that were getting in the way. As Eli's hands worked on unbuttoning Nozomi's shirt, she continued to suck and nip on Nozomi's neck.
With each little nip on her neck, Nozomi let out soft moans; moans that sent heat straight through to Eli's core. Eli brought her lips back up to Nozomi's, engaging in yet another kiss before she pulled open Nozomi's shirt.
"I'm going to need you to sit up for a moment so I can take that shirt off of you..." Eli whispered sensually into Nozomi's ear, followed by a gentle bite on her earlobe. The stimulation caused Nozomi to let out a loud moan. Without another word, Nozomi wrapped her arms around Eli's neck to help bring her up. Eli sat back up, bringing Nozomi up with her. She did what she planned to do and slid Nozomi's shirt off and out of the way. Eli laid Nozomi back down on the bed, and began to admire her piece of art. Nozomi's face was painted pink and her eyes were darkened with lust.
"Are you just gonna stare or will you actually do something?" Nozomi joked, her voice noticeably deeper, huskier, than it was a few moments ago.
"You just look so beautiful like this and it's something I want remember." Eli answered back. She lowered her lips back down, sucking Nozomi's skin right above her chest. "But I would like to see even more of you."
Eli ran her hands up Nozomi's side, feeling her soft and supple skin before finding the clip to her bra on her back. Skillfully, Eli unhooked the piece of clothing and tossed it off the bed, out of sight. From when she first laid eyes on Nozomi, she knew her body would be stunning, but her imagination couldn't match with the real thing. Eli continued to show her affections to Nozomi's neck as she brought her hands up to Nozomi's breasts. She cupped the bottoms of her ample mounds, circling up before dragging her hands down the front, massaging her breasts. Nozomi's moans, progressively getting louder as time passed, brought a whole new level of arousal to Eli that she couldn't explain.
Eli's kisses trailed down to Nozomi's breasts. She planted a few kisses around her nipple before actually taking it in her mouth. She sucked on it roughly, earning a loud moan from Nozomi, before flicking it with her tongue. One of Eli's hands was still working on the opposite breast while the other was exploring her voluptuous thighs. She felt as Nozomi reached behind her and undid her bra, allowing her to take it off of her.
"Elicchi." She heard Nozomi call out as steady as she possibly could. Eli stopped what she was doing to see what Nozomi wanted, only to be thrown onto her back onto the bed, their positions now switching.
"I just can't let you be dominant the whole time, now can I?" She said slyly. Nozomi started doing what Eli left off at, making sure to return the favor. Nozomi immediately focused her attention to Eli's nipple, the sudden wave of pleasure causing Eli to let out a loud moan in response. Nozomi's hands were gliding across the length of her abs, formed from daily training for monster hunting.
Eli wasn't satisfied with just being submissive, so her hands began to explore Nozomi's lower half, having paid excessive attention upper half already. Eli slid her hands under Nozomi's skirt squeezing her ass and earning a soft gasp. She felt as Nozomi began to fumble with her pant's button, glad to take the clothing off as the heat between the two rose. Nozomi lifted herself off of Eli and pulled off her jeans and underwear, taking note of the damp spot that could clearly be seen. Nozomi herself knew that she probably wasn't any different. Nozomi laid herself back down on Eli, kissing her as her fingers slowly began to explore her folds.
"Nozomi...!" Eli moaned at the contact with her vulva, burning for the desire of release.
"Ya'know, you're probably one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe that you're in my bed, moaning my name." Nozomi whispered as she peppered kisses around Eli's jawline.
"I...could say...the same to... you." Eli got out between moans, Nozomi's fingers working magic on her senses. Nozomi's fingers became coated in Eli's juices as she ran then through her folds, often teasing her entrance. Fingers now lubricated, Nozomi slid two of her fingers into Eli. Eli let out a throaty moan at the much desired entrance. She slowly started to pump her fingers in and out of Eli, though she quickly picked up her pace. With one hand, Eli grasped Nozomi's bedsheet, while the other rested in her hair. Nozomi took note of how Eli's moans were increasing in pitch, signaling the soon approaching orgasm. She curled her fingers, continuing to pump them at a quick, steady pace.
"N-Nozomi!" Eli's grip on the bedsheets tightened as the orgasm struck her. Nozomi slowed down her pace, riding it out. Eli breathed heavily as she calmed from her orgasm.
It didn't take long for Eli to recover, and once she did, she began to work on Nozomi. To match her own nudity, Eli tugged off Nozomi's skirt and panties.
"Doing me must've really got you going." Eli said in a sultry voice, feeling Nozomi's wetness against her fingers. Nozomi let out a throaty moan at the much awaited contact. Without any warning, Eli inserted two fingers into Nozomi's core, sliding in without resistance. Nozomi gasped at the sudden entrance, though it quickly turned to moans as Eli began to fuck her.
"Elicchi...! Shit...!" Nozomi moaned, gripping on the bed frame behind her. Profanity wasn't something she used often, but with the intensity of pleasure she was feeling right now, of course it would slip out.
To add to the current sensation, Eli lowered her mouth onto her clit. She flicked nub with her tongue, causing Nozomi's body to jolt with pleasure. Eli knew Nozomi was close by the way he body reacted to every little touch. She felt Nozomi place her hand in her own golden tresses, weakly holding her in place. To finish her off, Eli quickened her pace and gave her clit a strong lick.
Nozomi's shout of pleasure filled her apartment as she climaxed. Her body twitched as the waves struck her. Eli pulled out her fingers, licking them clean before examining the mess she made. Nozomi's eyes were half-lidded, her breathing was ragged, and her body was glistening with sweat. Her previously nicely kept hair was now messy, several strands escaping her twintails. Eli captured Nozomi's lips one last time before lying herself besides her.
"Wow..." Nozomi managed to get out.
"Hmm, do you think your neighbors heard that?" Eli asked. She glanced over at Nozomi, who's face was now a bright red. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Geez, it's all because of you." Nozomi pouted, her face still highly pigmented. Eli laughed at the childish look on her face.
"Want to clean ourselves up a bit before going to sleep?" Eli asked, still chuckling.
"That would be nice... You can head in first and I'll change the bedding. I'll bring you a towel and something to wear. Bathroom's right across from here. Feel free to use whatever I have."
"Thank you, Nozomi." Eli sat back up and walked towards the bathroom. She walked out of the room into the hallway, a shiver passing through her body as the cool air of the hallway hit her nude body. She made her way into the bathroom, turning on the lights and the shower.
Eli took out her hair band and stepped inside the shower once the water was the perfect temperature. She let the water run through her golden hair before using a small amount of Nozomi's shampoo.
As she began to wash her hair, she hear the faint sound of Nozomi's footsteps outside the shower. She ignored her, assuming she was just setting down the clothes and towel. Eli pushed her bangs back and out of her face, letting the warm water run against her head. She heard the footsteps again along with a knock on the bathroom door.
"Okay, Elicchi, I'm setting the towel and some clothes on the counter here for when you're done."
Eli furrowed her brows. What was Nozomi doing in there previously then?
"Alright, thanks Nozomi." Eli answered, deciding to just let it slide for now. She quickly poured some body wash onto her hand and lathered it into her body. Once she was free of any soap, she turned the water off and dried herself off. She looked at the clothes Nozomi provided for her, letting out a light chuckle as she realized it was only an oversized t-shirt. She threw it over her head, not bothering with putting any underwear on. She placed the towel onto her head to capture any water droplets that might fall.
"Alright, I'm done." Eli said as she walked into Nozomi's bedroom, where Nozomi was still putting the finishing touches on the bed.
"Oh, you look good in that." Nozomi commented, taking note of her long legs, exposed up to mid-thigh due to the choice of clothing.
"You look good in that as well." Eli replied, fully aware of her complete nudity.
"Yea, yea, Elicchi. I'm gonna shower now." Nozomi chuckled, patting her on the shoulder as she made her way into the shower. Eli looked back at her, watching as she sauntered into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Eli put some effort in drying her hair as she waited for Nozomi. Once she was sure there was not much else she could do to dry her hair, she followed the trail of clothes back to the entrance until she spotted her jacket. She flipped it over her arm and began to dig in the pockets, in search for her phone. Her phone was only a simple slide phone, seeing she had multiple others for other contacts. Plus, in her line of work, she needs a sturdy phone that doesn't crack and break whenever it hits the floor.
She opened up her conversation with Umi, texting to let her know that she wasn't coming home tonight. Of course, Umi probably assumed that, knowing her antics, but she still wanted to confirm it for her. Once she sent the message, she closed her phone, bringing it and her clothes back to Nozomi's room.
Seeing she really had nothing to do until Nozomi got out of the shower, she folded her clothes and set them neatly in a pile besides the bed. Eli looked around Nozomi's room, now focusing much more on the details. She was in the room before when she was scanning it with her EMF, but she didn't pay that much attention to the details.
She walked up to her desk to look at the photos that were framed there. There were few of them with one looking to be the center. It was a picture of a younger Nozomi with a man and a woman, presumably her parents. They all looked so happy in the photo, something that made Eli feel a twinge of pain in her own heart.
"Sorry to leave you here all alone, Elicchi." Nozomi's voice came calling out. Eli turned her gaze from the photo to Nozomi, pushing that feeling away quickly. Now out of the shower, she was clean and fully clothed, much to Eli's disappointment.
Nozomi walked over to her bed and crawled into her spot. Eli watched as she patted the bed besides her, signalling for her to lay down there. The corners of Eli's mouth turned to form a small smile as she made her way into the bed besides her. Eli laid on her side to face Nozomi, propping herself up on her arm. She gazed fondly at Nozomi's eyes, mesmerized by their beauty.
"Ya'know, with that soft look in your eyes, I start to wonder how you were dragged into monster hunting. It makes me wonder how someone as kind as you can be brought to do something so harsh." Nozomi said, noticing the way she was staring at her. Eli felt her heart drop.
"I-It's really not necessary to tell me though. I'm sorry for saying that." Nozomi quickly added, obviously noticing the change in Eli's face.
"I-It's alright," Eli replied, her emotions causing her stumble on her words a bit. "It happened so long ago, so I really should just get over it." She turned to lay on her back, staring at the roof above her.
"I was only fifteen at the time. I was coming back from a store after being out for only about twenty minutes. I knew something was off when my house door was open just enough to be pushed open. I looked around and saw the worst sight of my life. That thing was eating my family...at that time my little sister." Eli let out a shaky sigh as she tried to calm her nerves. She could feel her eyes begin to water, but she did her best to keep any tears from falling.
"To make the matters even worse, it took the shape of my mother as it did so. I saw my mother's face when it was eating my sister... I saw my mother's face when it spotted me and charged. I was too shocked to move and I thought I was done for... It was Umi's dad who saved me and explained what had just happened, what I saw. They took me in and from then on, I wanted to make sure no one had to go through what I went through." Eli brought her hand up to her face to wipe it, trying to make the tears go away.
"Sorry, you probably didn't want to hear all of that." Eli sighed. Eli tensed when she felt Nozomi's arm wrap around her, though she relaxed once she realized what was happening. Eli's heart felt like it was pounding against her chest.
"That's terrible... It must've been really hard for you... There's probably not much I could say to make anything better, but I will stay like this for as long as you need."
Eli felt her resolve start to break. The dam holding back her tears seemed to shatter as they began to flood out of her eyes. Eli tried to turn away from Nozomi, not wanting her to see her in such a pathetic state, but instead was pulled closer to her, her face resting in the crook of Nozomi's neck.
"It's alright, Elicchi. Let it all out. It'll be alright..." Nozomi murmured to her. She caressed the back of her head, planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
"This must be great. You've only known me for a night but here I am, crying into you." Eli chuckled in disbelief, tears still streaming down her face.
"There's nothing wrong with it, especially after what you've been through. This doesn't change the way I feel about you at all."
"Nozomi... Thank you."
After a couple minutes, Nozomi knew Eli was asleep because her sniffles died down into soft sighs. The girl who earlier appeared to be confident and flirty had a side she never really expected to see, though she was glad she was able to see it. Eli was still cuddled up against Nozomi, not that she minded, but the lights of the room were still on. Not wanting to stir Eli from her sleep, Nozomi decided against turning off the lights, falling asleep alongside Eli.