Skyfall

Sunlight streamed through the blinds of her bedroom, casting long dual colored shadows across the four poster bed. Hilary awoke, the previous night's events coming unwittingly to her mind. She and Kai had kissed and it had felt amazing. Her fingers trailed to her lips.

And when they had come home together… She had wanted him bad. And when the time finally came, she couldn't follow through.

It's not like Kai and I have never had sex…He was my first, after all. Although the last time was well over three years ago. She sighed.

Deep down she knew what was holding her back and it wasn't what he had done to her back then.

Pushing those darker thoughts to the side, she rose from her bed, donning her silk, kimono style robe and heading to the kitchen. There she spotted none other than the object of her thoughts sitting at the kitchen island wearing his glasses, reading the paper and sipping a mug of steaming coffee.

"You look like an ad for Home and Garden." Hilary said lightly as she poured herself a mug of her own.

"Morning," He said, folding the paper and placing it on the counter. "…How are you feeling?"

Hilary stiffened, knowing he was referring to last night.

"Fine," She answered shortly. She ahemed, before taking a long sip. "So I was thinking about doing something special for you tonight." Kai leaned back in his bar stool.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I mean it's my night off from the club and I wanted to do something nice for you as a thank you for letting me stay here."

"You don't really have to do that, Hil. I like having you here."

"I want to," She said honestly. "It's nothing too extravagant. Just a home cooked meal..." She trailed off when she saw his guarded look. "That Tala supplied the recipe for," She finished with a smile. Kai returned the smile.

"Sounds great."

XXX

Hilary peered at her phone as she leaned over the arm of her cart in the upscale health food store. Tala had texted her the recipe for his famous 'Marsala a la Tala'.

'Is this specific grocery store really necessary?' She texted him. She received a text back almost immediately.

'Yes! You want this to be a quality meal, don't you?' She sighed.

"Okay…chicken cutlet, check. Madeira wine for the sauce, check. Farfalle, check. Now I just need…" She squinted her eyes. "Mushrooms."

Once she had all her groceries, Hilary gathered the paper bag in her arms and headed out the sliding doors. Drops of water fell from the sky to cool her skin. She looked up to the ominous sky above them and quickened her pace. She hoped she had everything…She pulled out her phone to double check the list of ingredients.

Check, check, check…Her phone slipped from her hand as she bumped into a large figure.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sir…" Her voice trailed off. It couldn't be. The bag slid from her arms, toppling over and spilling its contents on the concrete.

"…Hilary?" Before her eyes stood none other than Tyson Granger. Hilary couldn't move. A myriad of emotions filled her. Elation, surprise, bewilderment, anxiety, fear…The smile on her face slipped away.

She turned abruptly on her heel and started walking briskly in the opposite direction. But Tyson was an athlete, with much longer legs and he quickly pursued her.

"Hil, wait!" Hilary ran faster, turning right, then left, then left again passing street vendors, kids on skateboards, and soccer moms pushing industrial sized strollers. After sprinting a few blocks, she pressed herself against the side of a brick building, her chest heaving. After all, until recently she was a drug addict. Her endurance was running lower by the second. She chanced a peak around the corner. The rain was falling in heavy sheets now, soaking her to her core and obscuring her vision.

No Tyson in sight. She sighed and chanced a look across the street. The subway. All she had to do was get underground and she was home free. She slunk out, keeping her eyes forward.

"Hil!" She looked up to see Tyson running toward her full speed. Hilary didn't hesitate. She ran forward, straight into oncoming traffic. She narrowly dodged one bicyclist and two vehicles who honked at her angrily. She took the subway stairs two at a time, nearly wiping out in a puddle once she reached the bottom. She sprinted down the tunnel, disturbing a pair of buskers who were performing in the atrium. She ran towards the signs for downtown and saw a train just arriving. Throwing caution to the wind, she hopped the turnstile, sliding into the train car just as the doors closed. Tyson appeared in the window, his face desperate. His fist banged angrily on the Plexiglass to the alarm of the other passengers. Hilary felt guilt fill her form as she turned away from him.

XXX

Kai looked up from his paperwork at the sound of his vibrating phone. He checked the caller ID before rolling his eyes.

"Tyson."

"I saw her Kai." Tyson said breathlessly.

"Who." Kai asked, although he had a feeling he knew who he was talking about.

"Hilary." As if reading his mind, the door to his office cracked open and Hilary crept inside. Her soaked hair was plastered to her face and her jacket clung to her thin frame.

"What're you talking about." Kai kept his voice even and monotone.

"Hi-la-ry, Kai. Today, in my neighborhood, right outside my apartment building. She's been in Tokyo this entire time." Kai's silence met Tyson's enthusiasm.

"Why aren't you more excited? Weren't you the one leading her search party three years ago?"

"That was a long time ago Tyson."

"She was our friend! I know you're cold man, but have a heart!"

"…Are you sure it was her?" Kai kept his eyes locked with Hilary's who were filled with conflicting emotions.

"100%. Kai, we need to find her."

"I have to go."

"Wait, Kai! What are we gonna do about-" Kai hung up the phone.

Hilary walked over to the window, staring out at the darkening skyline.

"Tyson?" She questioned without looking at him. Kai didn't answer, instead coming up beside her.

"You're wet," He said, lifting his hand to pull a few sopping strands from her face.

"It's raining." Kai pulled down her hood to get a better look at her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"…I don't know." She answered honestly.

"…Why did you run?" She sighed before collapsing onto the ottoman before the hearth. She buried her face in her hands.

"I don't know." Her voice cracked. "At first I was thrilled to see him after so long. Then I thought about the club and how ashamed I was and I couldn't face him after that." Kai pulled her to him, despite her waterlogged state. She was a good foot shorter than him, so she fit perfectly beneath his chin.

"It's okay if you're not ready to face him."

Later Hilary returned to the apartment, new groceries from the cheap convenience store down the street tucked under her arms. What Tala didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She measured out the ingredients painstakingly, following every step of his instructions down to the most minute detail.

As she did so, the events of the afternoon came unbidden to her mind, but she fiercely pushed them away.

"Okay…finely dice mushrooms and add to sauce…" She said to herself as she followed the instructions. Her phone buzzed on the countertop.

"Hello?" She questioned as she flipped open her phone.

"How's it coming?"

"Hey Tala. Pretty good. I'm almost done with the sauce and the pasta is already finished."

"That's great."

"Do you really think he'll like it?"

"He'll love it. Chicken marsala has always been one of Kai's favorite dishes."

"Great. Thank you so much Tala, I really appreciate it."

"Hey, anytime."

XXX

"Okay, no peeking," Hilary said as she lead a wary Kai into the kitchen, her fingers shielding his eyes. "Okay, ta da!" She exclaimed, removing her hands. The kitchen island was transformed, holding two lit candles, two table settings and her steaming dish in the center.

"Wow, this is amazing Hil," He said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks!" He took a seat and she took the one next to him, before giving him a large helping. "Don't hold back okay? I want your honest opinion of the food."

"Okay…" He warily took a bite, chewing it slowly. Hilary watched him nervously. "Wow. Not bad." He helped himself to another mouthful. Hilary let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The two ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Hil, can I ask you a question?" She nodded, taking another bite of the food. It was good. "How did you get into stripping?" She paused.

"Why do you want to know?" He didn't answer, merely choosing to stare down at his food. She exhaled. "After I left my dad's I tried to find a job dancing. It was always my passion, you know?" Kai nodded. He remembered that well. She was always entering local dance competitions and had interned at a local studio near the dojo. "I was working at one of those dinner and a show restaurants and still couldn't make ends meet. Then one of the girls I worked with said her friend made good money doing exotic dancing at this exclusive club on the strip downtown, so I had her set up an interview for me. I got hired and tried it out…and I was good at it. Really good. When I was on stage I felt electric and powerful, like nothing and no one could touch me. I was in control of the men who came to watch me instead of the opposite way around. And the money was good, better than anywhere else anyway. I was able to save up and get an apartment and things were good for a while…At least until my roommate ran off with my savings that I had hid in our apartment and I found myself facing eviction. I didn't know what I was going to do, I was so desperate." Here it was, her perfect opportunity to tell Kai…She opened her mouth, but was cut off.

"Hilary…" She looked up at him to see his hair shielding his eyes, his hand shaking.

"Kai?"

"…Are there mushrooms in this?" She nodded, still watching him warily. He dropped his fork, his hand coming up to cover his mouth.

"I'm allergic to mushrooms." He looked up at her and Hilary was mortified to see his face had broken out in bright red hives. He began to wheeze.

"Oh my god, what do I do?" She questioned as he fell sideways off his chair. She knelt by his side.

"M-my ep-pi-pen," He wheezed out.

"Where!?" She demanded as he clutched his throat desperately.

"…Office," He eventually gasped out. Hilary needed no further instruction. She tore down the hallway, crashing into the oak door of his office before ripping it open. She looked around desperately. This place was huge! Trying to think logically, she ran towards his desk, ripping open the drawers and riffling through them hastily, not caring when she scattered papers and files and pens to the floor.

"Where is it, damnit?" She cursed as the tore through the other side as well. Finally on the last drawer she opened, she found the small package hidden under a stack of paperwork. Grabbing the whole thing she sprinted back towards the kitchen to see Kai right where she left him. "I have it, Kai!"

"O-Open it," He managed barely. She looked at the small device in her hand. She had never used one before. She read the instructions hastily. She ripped off the yellow cap and the injector slid out of the case neatly into her hand. She read the rest of the instructions hurriedly.

"Where do I put it?" She questioned desperately. Kai leaned back, his face turning blue.

"M-my thigh!" Hilary didn't hesitate, plunging the orange tip down on top of Kai's jeans and pushing the button. Kai froze and the seconds passed like hours until finally his body relaxed against the hardwood floors, his wheezes turning into giant gulps of air. Hilary watched him anxiously, her fingers still wrapped tightly around the syringe. Finally, his breathing slowed to a normal rate and the redness in his skin was replaced by his normal pastiness.

"…Next time, let's eat out," He managed finally, glancing at the brunette crouched by his side. Hilary let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and a tear escaped the corner of her eye as she smiled.

"Deal."