Now what?! Jin stepped back from the side of the bed, hands running through his hair as his emotions clashed and sent him spiraling into turmoil. Looking down at Akari, the man felt a tightness in his chest. As if a demon's hand was clutching at his heart.
She still looked so delicate. Lying on her bed, her crimson hair spilling across the pillows as her face contorted in pain. The woman's right arm was extended to the side, her sleeve pulled back to display a splint fixed to it. The bruise on her temple looked like a little black blossom on her fair skin.
What happened to you? Who would hurt you? I wasn't there to help! Look at what happened! I'm so sorry! You shouldn't have fought someone without me! Clutching his head, he felt a stinging in his eyes as he stared down at her. The sight of her motionless body sprawled in front of him, bearing bruises and broken bones, still wearing her hero costume, made him feel like his heart was breaking.
Turning away, Jin looked around at his surroundings. Her bedroom was strange. Dark, thick curtains over the windows. Black pillows and blankets. A closet, where she seemed to store her clothes. Clothes? Wait! Yeah! I should get her clean clothes, right? No! I shouldn't snoop through her stuff!
He located a long t-shirt and threw it onto the bed beside her. I'm not changing her clothes for her. I'm drawing the line there. Hey, at least she has something clean to wear. Shifting his gaze back to her, he began to frown. She looked so uncomfortable. Sleeping while wearing her hero costume's jacket. Surely that would be alright.
Jin sat on the edge of the bed, right beside her. When the mattress dipped a little, he expected her to react. She remained motionless; still sleeping peacefully. He was starting to sweat now. It beaded along his hairline as he shakily reached toward her. The woman was pulled closer to him and he eased her upper half onto his lap to elevate it.
Akari's head fell back, leaning against his stomach. Vibrant red hair covered half of her face and her lips parted slightly. He shifted his gaze away, trying not to look at her as his fingers found the zipper of her jacket. Jin very carefully drew it down, opening her jacket little by little. When it fell open, he had to gently reposition her so he could pull it down her arms.
Casting the jacket aside, he let her rest against him again for a moment. Fingers tenderly pushed her hair away from her face, revealing her peaceful expression. He could feel his pulse racing as he looked down at her. Akari's hair felt like satin, running between his fingers. Her body was warm against his legs and stomach, reminding him that she was really there. She was really lying on a bed, halfway drawn up onto his lap with him gently stroking her hair.
He pulled his hand away quickly and glanced to the side. I shouldn't be here. I don't deserve to be here. She wouldn't have made it home if it weren't for me! I've earned this! No! No, no, no! I didn't want it like this!
Jin had to distance himself before he did something that he would regret. Gently settling her on the bed again, he left her room. He passed the bathroom and stopped in the sitting room to stare. There were thick red curtains over the windows in this room, a collection of books, a television, a coffee table, and a black couch that looked really comfortable.
He saw a kitchen area off to his left. It was basically connected to the sitting room and seemed to have a red theme to everything in there. Jin felt anxiety gnawing at his stomach and sat on the couch, reaching for a cigarette instinctively. He stopped himself from lighting it, deciding that Akari probably would not want him to smoke in her apartment.
His eyes settled on the vase that sat on the coffee table. Arranged inside was the bundle of red flowers that he had left in front of her door the previous week. They were holding up surprisingly well and it looked like she was taking really good care of them. It brought the faintest of smiles to his face and he rubbed the back of his neck.
I have to do something. What can I do for her to help? She's out like a log; she won't care if I leave. I can't just leave her if those injuries were inflicted by a villain. What if they come back for her? Who would waste their time tracking her down? He frowned and shook his head, tired of these conflicting thoughts. If there was one thing that he was absolutely certain of, it was that he loved Akari.
Jin sat for a moment, staring at the flowers. She had taken such good care of them. He could imagine her sitting where he was now, admiring the petals with a loving gaze. The thought made his heart skip a beat and he pushed himself to stand. I need to do something. What can I do for her? When will she wake up? Is she going to hate me for staying here for so long? I know what I can do for her! She's going to love this!
Shift P.O.V
"…Jin…?" Akari pushed herself to sit up, using her left arm, and looked around. The bedroom door was closed, but she could hear movement beyond it. I need to apologize. I just kind of passed out on him after demanding help. She spotted the sleeping shirt beside her and raised an eyebrow.
It took a bit of careful maneuvering, but she was soon changed out of her hero costume and into the pajama shirt and a pair of shorts. Akari carried her costume over to the laundry basket and dropped it inside. I'll have to scrub the blood out of the shirt. And I'll have to thank Jin for doing so much. He even got the jacket off of me so I'd be comfortable. She looked to the door and ruffled her hair, frowning slightly. He's so considerate. I definitely owe him now.
When she opened her door, Akari first noticed the smell of food cooking. Her stomach growled loudly in response, reminding her that she had not eaten since breakfast. Well, not counting the piece of candy that Recovery Girl had given her before sending her home. She saw her friend in the kitchen and her lips curled into a smile. His back was to her as he worked on something on the stovetop. "Hey, Jin," she called, not wanting to startle him.
He tensed, head bowed in concentration. "You're awake?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry about that. I lost a lot of blood today. I still feel kind of out of it so…" Akari approached his side, sniffing at the air. That fried rice smells amazing, she thought as her mouth watered. "What time is it?"
The blond man frowned almost sheepishly. "It's…a little past eight. I didn't want to wake you up." He nodded toward the fridge. "I made a lot. I thought you would be hungry so…"
She half-grinned and leaned against the counter beside him so she could see his face. "Jin…you're the best, you know that?"
He absently rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Th-thanks, but it's nothing fancy."
"I really appreciate this though. Here; I'll carry the food to the coffee table and we can eat together, okay? Unless you already ate?"
"N-no. I wanted to wait for you," he assured her. He winced after saying this, but she failed to notice it. "Uh…those flowers…"
"Ah. Someone left them in front of my door last week." Akari went to open the fridge and was absolutely delighted when she saw that he had made a stir-fry with bok choy and beef. This smells so good! I can't believe he went through so much trouble!
"Secret admirer?" His attention was on the fried rice again, listening as she carried the pan of food to the counter.
She began distributing the food onto plates and nodded. "It's kind of a long story. So I got those last Friday right before I got called to catch some criminals. I didn't think anything of it at first, but when I was fighting the criminals, this guy in a black and white mask showed up and actually saved me from getting hit in the head. I don't know what might have happened if I'd been hit, but he took the punch straight to his face."
Akari finished plating the food and let him portion some rice onto the plates as well. "He said something that made me realize he was connected to the flowers. He said "I love you"."
Jin carried the plates to the coffee table for her, but hesitated to sit down. "And…he was just a stranger?"
"I guess." She stared up at him curiously and raised an eyebrow. "Jin?"
"Sorry." He sat beside her and lowered his gaze to the plate as she turned on the television. When she settled on a monster movie, he felt slightly more relaxed. She seemed to really enjoy the film because she grinned as soon as the monster came onscreen.
She watched him from the corner of her eye as he slowly relaxed. The man ate, but his eyes were on the screen. Taking a bite of her portion, she beamed. This is delicious! Why is he doing odd jobs when he can cook like this?!
Shift P.O.V
He ate so quickly that he hardly tasted the food, but she seemed pleased with it. When she complimented his cooking, he felt happiness spread through him. He was not about to tell her that he had looked up a tutorial online to learn how to make the dishes for her. Honestly, he would have been satisfied with the night ending after he finished eating. That was when she spoke up.
"It's late. Do you want to just sleep here? I mean, it's the least I can offer since you helped me out so much today." Akari leaned against his side, making herself comfortable.
The man's heart immediately began to race again and he stared down at her in alarm. "S-sleep here? I don't know…"
"I have tomorrow off so I can heal. Maybe I can try to repay you-"
"You don't have to do that!" He frowned when she looked up at him. "I mean…I just wanted you to be safe," he admitted. I can't impose on her like that. She offered so I shouldn't turn her down!
"Please?" She frowned as well and used her left hand to toy with a strand of hair. "I…kind of had a bad day. I got pretty banged up. And my boyfriend is in even worse condition. I don't really want to be by myself. And you know I've got insomnia; I probably won't get much sleep tonight. Just stay the night. I'm just going to watch movies and read; I won't bother you."
Jin's heart was beating so hard that he could hear it in his ears. A hand lifted, rubbing at the back of his head. "F-fine," he finally agreed. Anxiety made his stomach twist in knots, but when she rested against his side, he felt it melting into bliss. I'm just here to help her feel safe. This is going to be a good night! Wait. Did she say she had a boyfriend? No way! She's got to be single, right?
