Maddening Attraction

Chapter 10: Good Night's Sleep

"Mom, hi." Yako calmly said, covering the phone with one hand and keeping it close to her ear with another. She walked back and forth in the new bedroom. Clean floors contrasted with the small piles of empty boxes and food wrappings that hid in corners and near the baseless bed. Sai rested in the covers, unconscious. "Yeah, the case I'm working on needs me to stay over; maybe for a while. I'm not sure. Don't worry about homework, Kanaea can deliver it to me. I have some funding from the agency to use so I don't really need money."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Mrs. Katsuragi asked despite the past cases Yako has faced and the dozens of trips she has journeyed. She always wished to call her daughter and make sure everything was in check.

"I'll be perfectly fine. A good friend of mine is letting me sleep in her home so it'll be okay. Okay…okay Mom. Love you too. Bye." A knock came from the door. "You can come in."

"What did your mother say?" Ai asked, stepping into the room with a tray of food, medicine and bandages. Yako sighed and snapped her phone before placing it on the computer desk.

"I told her I was on a case and sleeping at a female friend's house. I also told her I had enough money to take care of myself and that I don't know when I'll be back but school assignments are being taken care of," Yako explained, feeling a pit of regret for her lies. She rarely ever lied to her mother or anybody for that matter. Gazing at the silent Sai under the covers, bandages tightly wrapped around his forehead and bandages over his cheeks, Yako forgave herself. "Ms. Ai…"

"Ai will do," the woman calmly said, walking past the blonde.

"Ai…will…Sai be okay?"

"He's an energy machine. His cells duplicate without end as long as he has energy to use. His regeneration will speed along if he can wake up and eat but he will be fine nonetheless," Ai reported, removing the old bandages and replacing them with new, cleaner ones. She pulled a bucket with water next to her and knelt onto the floor, grabbing a rag and squeezing it dry.

"Oh no, I'll do that," Yako said, crawling over to the side of the bed.

"I understand. Here."

"Thank you. I'll make sure he wakes up clean and refreshed," Yako quietly promised. Ai smiled, leaving the tray as she headed towards the door. "Ms. Yako" she said. "Sai talked about you often, even before your relationship. They were always nice words. It would seem he was interested in you more than anything else."

Yako chuckled, wiping her eyes with her arms. "It's great to hear that. It makes me really happy."

"Before I leave you with some peace, does Neuro have any methods of tracking you?"

"Not anymore. Sai destroyed the Evil Stalker but I need my cell phone destroyed. Somehow he can reach me with his hand using it," Yako explained. Ai nodded, taking the phone off the desk. With the door shut, Yako dipped the wash cloth into the hot water and ringed it out before cleaning the dirt off of Sai's face. She started around his chin and gently wiped his cheeks. "Sai…" Yako began to scrub his nose and then the cloth met his eyes. "It's hard for me to see you like this. Quiet….and….those eyes aren't looking back at me…"

The cloth carefully cleaned away the black from under his eyes. Yako moved to his ears and his neck, his hands were filthy and his hair was covered in dirt and crumbs. Taking Ai's words as hope, Yako tried her best to smile warmly as Sai remained motionless, only weakly breathing. Placing her fingers between his, she closed her eyes. "Please stay strong." Glancing at his lips, she leaned over him, pulling herself back if she felt herself pressing onto him. Closing her eyes, her lips met his, surprised by the little warmth they had. After cleaning him she placed her head against his, enjoying the sound of him breathing. "After you wake up…we can just rest all day if you want. I'll probably cook something and we could probably walk around in the city. Just relaxing and enjoying each other. Maybe…I could apologize to you for getting you involved with Neuro."

Another knock came from the door. Yako flinched, rising from the mattress.

"Come in."

"I've brought you a blanket," Ai said, already covering the teenager with it.

"Thank you Ai."

"He's happier with you around."

"He said that?"

"He says it all the time," Ai said. "I don't know if he still feels the urge to see your insides but…out of all of humanity, he would likely kill you last. With hesitation to say the least."

"A murder joke?" Yako chuckled, closing her eyes. She plopped her head next to Sai's and yawned.

"Good night Yako."

"Good night Ms….Ai."

The night grew late. Ai kept watch in the living room of the apartment, drinking tea and reading a magazine that hardly kept her interest. The couch was at least soft and comfortable but that seemed to be the only highlight of the night. Only Yako's sudden appearance into one of their hideouts slightly excited her. "Strange path for a teenage girl to choose," Ai muttered to herself. "I wonder what Sai will choose to do with me now?" The door to Sai's room creaked. Loosening her sleeve, Ai could feel the knife she prepared under her clothes slip into her fingers. Yako stepped out, gripping onto the blanket with a yawn in her voice.

"Can't sleep?" asked the woman, returning the knife to its proper place.

"Sorry. I just came out to get some water. I'm thirsty," Yako calmly said.

"I can fix tea if you want."

"I don't want to be a burden."

"It's no burden at all. You may sit on the couch if you want."

"Thank you." Yako quietly seated herself in the chair next to the couch, not wanting to interrupt Ai's previous activities. This was a chance to absorb her new surroundings, having been forced to rush Sai into the room as soon as they entered the building. Lovely paintings hung from the wall along with trinkets scattered but organized along dressers and cabinets. From miniature vases to Chinese tea sets, the apartment represented more of a modern art museum than a place to live. "These are lovely decorations."

Ai heated the stove, placing the teapot on one of the circles. "Thank you. They are mostly unusual objects Sai has stolen to keep up his Phantom Thief identity."

"He really doesn't want these?"

"Most of the time, no. He has a taste for art though as you already know. Works with meaning inside. It helps him feel linked," Ai explained.

"Linked? To what?"

"To humans." Ai grabbed a tray and placed the pot along with the cups on it, carrying it into the living room table. She glanced at Yako, who sat at quite the distance from her spot on the couch. "Unlike Sai, I won't bite you." Yako returned the look, sitting herself next to Ai on the couch. "Sai's theory so far is that he is human. He believed that until Neuro appeared."

"And why do you work with him? It's hard to believe anyone would help a serial killer."

"It's hard to believe anyone would sleep by his side," Ai smiled. "I'm here to see him find his answer. I can only see humans as similar to each other, there's hardly a difference between any two people. Especially if you look at what one can accomplish."

"You feel imprisoned don't you?" Yako asked. Ai's eyes brightened. Staring at the girl next to her, she felt caught off guard.

"I didn't expect you to really listen," she replied.

"You think many humans are selfish don't you?" Ai was caught off guard again, repeating her last actions. "I can understand your feelings."

The night lights flickered outside guiding the bloodied Neuro back to the office. Catching gazes from the late night walkers and couples, he dragged his flimsy arms up the stairs having to kick the door down just to enter the room. Kicking it shut, he fell onto the couch and closed his eyes. It was too late to move anymore and too early to strategize. Recovery was top priority and today he didn't have his assistant by his side.

"Yako, you are another wonder I'm interested in," contently said Ai. "Your ability to attract the unnatural and to gently claw into one's heart is remarkable alone."

"I'm not really that great," Yako blushed, taking a sip of the tea. She wasn't surprised it was delicious. "I don't know what will happen from here on out though. What Neuro will do it is unpredictable. He'll come after me so he can eat mysteries but he might want to kill Sai as well."

"There's no need to think about it tonight. Relax and get your sleep," Ai suggested, rubbing Yako's head. The teenager nodded, finishing the tea and thanking her new friend for the conversation before returning to Sai's side. Quietly stepping into the room, she set herself next to the bed and pecked him on the cheek before she returned to her sleep, Yako's body grew warm and relaxed. The tension floated off her, leaving her in a state of serenity for the night. "You'll be okay Sai…"

Fogging over the city, the endless night drifted by with every passing car and late night chatter that lit up the streets. The clock flashed the number two in red lighting. Sai's face lit with the night lights peeking through the glass. Uncomfortably tightening his brow, he began to shake, stretching out his hands. Flickering his eyes, he took in his first deep breath. "Where…am I?" he asked, rising from the covers. He rubbed his forehead, feeling the soft bandage over it. "Looks like they got me."

A gentle air swept across his other hand. Looking down he could see Yako peacefully sleeping with her mouth open, resting on top her hands. Sai smiled, surfing his fingers through her blonde hair. "Yako…" he whispered. "Yako."

"Hmm? What is it?" she sleepily said, her eyes only half-open. "Hmm? Sai? Sai?! You're up!"

"Yep! And where's my dinner? I'm star-" he happily asked before falling back to the bed, Yako pouncing on top of him. "You want sex already?"

"Shut up," Yako chuckled. "I fell asleep waiting for you."

"And I fell asleep in my own blood," Sai said, pulling off the bandage on his head. "Where's Ai?"

"She's in the living room, keeping an eye out for Neuro," Yako reported. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yep. I'm fine!" His turquoise eyes skimmed over to her. A mischievous smile swung across his face. Quickly sliding out of the covers, he met her lip to lip, still smiling. "You know I love you right?"

"I do," Yako blushed.

"I won't kill you either. I promise!" he cheered, winking at her with a thumbs up.

"You shouldn't have to say something like that."

"Could I….have just a bite? A few licks maybe?"

"You just recovered Sai. Maybe you should eat first," Yako said.

"I'll give you my dinner if I can just go to desert," he offered. "And in case my sly remark flew over your head," he said as he leaned over to her ear. "You're desert."

"It would be best to eat dinner first," Ai said, standing in the doorway with a tray of food. "It's two in the morning. After you eat it would be best if you went back to sleep and rest."

"But I'm not sleepy," Sai whined.

"Yes you are, you just don't know it yet," Ai replied. "Please eat well and good night. It's nice to see you're lively again." She shut the door, leaving the two alone in the dark room once again, the only light leaking from the city. Yako pulled the tray over and dipped the spoon in the soup. "I'll feed you."

"I am a little hungry. I'll just drink out of the bowl," he said.

"It's okay. I'll feed you like this."

"If you insist," he sighed. "Perhaps you need a reward of your own? Maybe a-" Yako stuffed the spoon in his mouth. Sai swallowed the disgusting soup, letting it swim down to his stomach. "That's disgusting! It definitely needs some kangaroo meat in it. Or baboon."

"Where are we get something like that?" Yako criticized, shocked he ate such foods.

"There should be some in the refrigerator."

"Ai told me not to feed you anything else but what's on the tray," Yako fiendishly smiled.

"Aw man…"

"But…when you're done with all this, maybe I come into the bed with you…and make sure you're tired enough to go to sleep?"

"As long as you're not implying beating me to sleep I'll happily agree!" he cheered and that was that. The night came to a close. The empty tray remained on the side of the bed as the two held each other in their slumber. Sai couldn't manage to not chew on her hair as they slept and she couldn't help but nuzzle in deeper into his body, breathing lightly. Warmed by each other, they would awake the next morning feeling invigorated and overjoyed.