Hi, guys!

I am so, so sorry that it has taken about a year for me to update. This was never my intention but my last school year was very taxing. I also haven't had Wi-Fi for a while. I'm off of school right now and I have a short window of opportunity to write and do other things, so I will be trying to write as much as my mind allows me to! Thank you all for reading my story and I hope you continue to follow this story until completion.

Misaki sat quietly, hands drawing warmth from her cup of tea. The sound of traffic and bustling nightlife could be heard, faintly, from outside. Her heart pounded in her chest, so forcefully that she feared Usui might hear it. He was across the room, by the window, watching the city, its lights reflected in his eyes.

He wasn't actively pressuring her, wasn't pursuing more answers as she'd thought he might, but his presence was enough to keep her feeling on edge. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip from it, warm liquid sliding across her tongue and down her throat, slowly but surely warming her up.

Her mind raced with thoughts of where to go from here, what to do next. She recalled what had happened back in the manor and what he had said to convince her to come back to his apartment.

"I came here for you."

The words caused goosebumps—the good kind—to erupt across Misaki's skin. But, at the same time, they confused her.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Come with me, and I'll explain everything."

"Come with you, where? I have to stay here—"

"There's nothing keeping you here! Igarashi is on a flight going far away from Japan right this minute! He'll be gone for a month, at the very least." He paused for a moment as Misaki chewed on her lip. He began to speak more softly. "All I'm saying is that you don't have to be afraid, Ayuzawa. I'm here."

Misaki's face crumpled and she turned away. She so wanted to rely on him, but in doing so she would become a burden. Because of that, even if she managed to remain safe from Tora for the rest of her life, she didn't think she could find happiness if she didn't have Usui. But she had no right to put him through the taxing task of dealing with her. The deflating thought summoned tears to her eyes.

Strong, warm arms wrapped around her from behind, gently pressing her against a firm chest. Misaki didn't protest—despite the burns on her back—but she hurried to wipe away the tears that now stained her cheeks.

"You don't deserve this," he whispered into her hair.

His kind words only brought on more tears. The sobs that wracked her body caused her ribs to hurt more, but she tamped down the pain. She almost wished Usui wouldn't embrace her, not because of the physical pain, but because of what his kindness did to her. She felt unworthy of it.

This was such a wholesome moment that she didn't know how to act. She was no longer innocent; she knew too much, had done too much to be pure anymore. Tora's "compliments" from their time in bed earlier came back to her, and she was reminded of just how worthless and disgusting she was. She felt that if Usui touched her any longer, she would taint him.

Slowly, tentatively, she pushed his arms down and stepped away from him. He tensed for a moment, but didn't stop her. She stared at the floor, still not willing to face him.

"I know you say he's gone, but you don't understand. He knows everything. He'll find out that I wasn't here the whole time and he'll…" Her brows drew together and she cringed at the thought.

"He'll what, Ayuzawa?" Usui's quiet voice held sympathy that Misaki wasn't sure she could accept.

"Well, you already seem to have figured it out." She touched her exposed forearm, running her fingers along the marred skin.

"Are you saying you won't come?"

"Yes."

There was a pause.

"Ayuzawa," Usui began, "do you remember when you asked me to help you?"

Misaki knew exactly what he was talking about but she refused to admit it. "No. I've never asked anyone for help; you know that."

"Exactly. As long as I've known you, you've never asked for help with anything, no matter how hard it was on you. So for you to request help like you did, at the party, suggested that something was very, very wrong. And don't lie again by saying you don't remember. You very clearly mouthed 'help me' on your way out of that party."

Misaki still would not look at him.

"So," he continued, "now I'm here. I'm trying to help you. I'm trying to take you away from all this. You only have to let me."

She took some time to consider his offer. The very idea that she could leave, even if not forever, was enough to have her brimming with excitement. But the part of her that overthought everything and looked to the future told her that, no matter how wonderful it would be to escape these walls, it would not be worth it. Tora's wrath, after finding out she'd left for a month with another man, could very well kill her.

And yet, despite how high the stakes were, the less rational but more insistent part of her suggested that maybe Tora wouldn't find out. Maybe she was just so used to him having such control that she forgot she could get away with anything.

She stared at her forearms again, the dark marks blotching out what was once smooth, pale skin. Luckily for her, Tora wouldn't leave scars anywhere that could be revealed when they go out in public. As it was, if her burns didn't heal properly, she'd no longer be able to wear anything that showed her back. She sighed quietly and pulled her sleeves down again, before walking down the hallway, and taking the stairs to their bedroom.

Usui's voice echoed as he called out, "Ayuzawa?"

"I'm coming," she called back. "I need to pack, don't I?"

"Well, no, actually. Everything is already there."

She stopped. He had followed her down the hallway and now stood at the bottom of the stairs. She clutched the railing and looked at him. "Why?"

He gave her a small smile, one that reminded her of the old Usui.

"I wasn't going to take no for an answer."

She had warmed up now, the tea finished and the empty cup sitting on the saucer on the low table. Beside her sat a tiny bag, which only held her makeup. After Usui had assured her that he had bought everything she could ever need, she still decided it was safer to have a small bag that she could carry with her all the time.

She was actually relieved that he had everything set up. If she had had to bring her own nightclothes, she'd have been embarrassed. She didn't own a single pair of modest pyjamas. Tora had bought her all sorts of skimpy things, as he liked seeing her so exposed, and enjoyed the feel of her skin against him as he fell asleep. It might have been endearing if it was someone kinder… like Usui.

She shook her head to rid herself of thoughts like that. She could allow herself to imagine a life with him, because that was something she'd never have. He likely just felt obligated to help her out, as an old friend.

She stood and picked up the saucer with the teacup. "Where should I put this?"

Usui turned to look at her, then the cup in her hands. He walked over to her. "Here, just give it to me." He held out a hand. "I'll take care of it."

Misaki was a little surprised, as she wasn't used to this kind of thing. Even though they had servants, Tora liked to make her clean up their dishes and do the laundry when they had wrecked the sheets. She wasn't quite sure why, but she suspected it had to do with his love for being able to control her.

In a little bit of a daze, she let Usui take the dishes from her. She went to stand where he had been earlier, and stared at the bright lights and hordes of people below. She could make out an individual group of what looked like teenage girls walking together, and she envied them. She missed the company of her friends. She missed her freedom. She missed her life from before. All the riches in the world couldn't make up for what she'd lost.

She felt warmth at her back. She turned to face Usui, worried that he might try to touch her again. He didn't know how appalling she was; if he found out all the things she'd done, he'd be horrified that he'd touched such filth.

He just stood there, looking down at her. She wasn't sure how much more of him she could take. "U-Usui?"

He leaned in closer, locking eyes with her. "Mhm?"

This was exactly what she'd meant by not knowing how much she could take. His proximity made her flustered, but she wouldn't show it. "Could you show me where the bedroom is?"

He straightened up. "Of course," he assured. "You must be tired." He took her hand and started walking. She quickly jerked it out of his grasp and held it close to her. His face fell, and she worried she'd hurt him, but it was better this way. Better to create a gap between them.

"I'll just follow you." He frowned slightly before continuing. He brought her to a door and opened it up. The room was cozy, not all modernized like Tora's manor was. The feel of this room reminded her of her actual home, back with Suzuna and their mother.

"Is this okay?"

Misaki had to hold herself back from hugging Usui. "It's perfect," she croaked, trying to stop tears from spilling. She felt stupid, as a simple room wasn't something to cry about, but she couldn't help herself.

Usui regarded her tenderly and watched as she tried to compose herself.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He gave a small smile and then pointed at a door across the room. "Over there is your closet; you'll find most of what you need in there. Otherwise, you can look in that dresser," he gestured to the indicated object, "or ask me for anything else if you need it." He pointed to another door, a few feet away from the closet. "That is your very own washroom. Now, I'll let you get settled in. If you ever need anything, anytime, I am right across the hall."

"Okay..."

He turned to leave, but Misaki caught his sleeve. He turned back to her, brows raised.

"Goodnight, Usui."

"Goodnight, Ayuzawa." He looked like he was about to say something more, but he shook his head and left, closing the door behind him.

Once the door had closed, Misaki immediately searched through the dresser drawers and found a nice, warm pair of pyjamas. She pulled the top over her head and pulled the bottoms over her thin body—everything fit perfectly. And what was more: she was completely covered. It was such a contrast from her usual lingerie, and she loved it. She lifted the covers and got under them, and snuggled into the fresh-smelling sheets, which didn't smell at all like Tora or sex. It was a nice change.

She shifted a bit in bed and then settled on her side. Her back would sting if she laid on it, and she could never fall asleep on her stomach. Plus, she'd once read that sleeping on the side with broken ribs can help prevent movement during the night, which would save her from more pain and decrease the time it would take to get her healed.

Gazing at the light, warm colours of the room, Misaki felt a security that had eluded her for the past three years. Though a jolt of fear shot through her at the thought of Tora finding out about her disobedience, she decided it was okay to stay here, just this night. She could easily leave tomorrow.

But, as her eyelids drooped and Usui's kind expression flooded her mind, she doubted she'd be able to.

Reviews are always appreciated, compliments and criticism are welcome, just please refrain from being consciously impolite.