Study Buddies and Affectionate Friends

Finals. What a nightmare. Adila was finishing her first semester at the university, and she wanted to make really good grades to send to her parents. She wanted to show them that they had not wasted their money or their trust by allowing her to study in Japan which had been a major financial undertaking for them. Her parents were not filthy stinking rich but money had never been a problem in her household. Her father was an assistant coach with the sports program at his alma mater and her mother was a prominent pediatrician. She did not want to waste their money or her time either. Being driven overachievers was a hallmark of her family, and she did not intend to break that tradition.

"Adila, sit down," Teru ordered her gently as she paced the room while reading the notes in her hand.

"I'm okay. It helps me think," she replied, tugging absentmindedly on a lock of her long honey brown hair.

"Does pulling your hair out help you think as well?" he inquired, watching her pull the hair harder at his question.

"No. That's your fault because you're irritating me," she shot back sarcastically, hiding her smile behind her notebook.

Teru smiled as well. He had grown accustomed to her distinct variety of cattiness and actually liked it. They had become close friends over the last few months but nothing more. Their time together was spent studying or engaging in sometimes heated philosophical debates mostly dealing with people trapped in moral dilemmas involving criminal activities of varying kinds.

"Do you want some tea? I need some," Adila said, going to the kitchen.

"Are you all right?" he asked, following her to the kitchen that was so small he would have to leave if he wanted to change his mind. He stepped up behind her when he saw her standing over the tea kettle on the stove as if willing it to boil.

Adila jumped when his fingers dug into the taut, stressed muscles across her shoulders. Being touched actually hurt because the muscles were so tight.

"You're so tense. Does it hurt?" he inquired, when he heard her gasp.

"Yes," she answered, biting her lip against the pain.

"Here. Hold that," he instructed her, gathering her hair into a ponytail and waiting for her grab it.

"Oh, Teru," she moaned as he worked his fingers into the sore, strained muscles of her neck.

Teru almost took his hands off of her as the blood suddenly rushed to lower regions in his body. He had been attracted to her before but had always been able to ignore it. The way she had said his name was not so easy to dismiss. He stepped closer to her, moving his hands down to her shoulders.

Adila closed her eyes and sighed as the muscles began to unwind. His massage to loosen the stiffness was also helping that constant annoying ache in her temples to dissipate as well. She felt his thumbs slide up the back of her neck, pressing gently before moving back down to push into the thick muscles at the base of her neck.

"Oh, yes, that feels good," she gasped, pulling her hair over her shoulder to release it. She had to brace her hands on the counter to remain in a standing position. He was making her weak all over from the marvelous kneading to relax her neck and shoulders.

DAMN! What he would not give to hear her gasp that way while naked and underneath him. Teru almost slapped himself for the thought then opted to shake his head to rid himself of it.

"Does that feel better?" he asked, reluctantly removing his hands from her body.

"Yes, much better. You even helped me get rid of my headache. Thank you," she said with sincere gratitude.

"I'll be in the living room," he told her, backing out of the kitchen.

"I'll be in there soon with the tea," she informed him, opening the cabinet for the cups.

Adila allowed her mind to wander as she readied the tray. His hands were absolutely miraculous. If they felt that good on her neck how would they feel elsewhere? A lecherous little grin tilted her lips as her mind dove right off into the gutter. When her body began to feel a bit prickly from a specific kind of heat that came from arousal, she pushed the thoughts from her mind. Splashing cold water on her face from the tap, she dried it off with a dish towel while willing her body to calm down. It was her own fault. She should not have been thinking like that. She had not had a boyfriend since her senior year of high school by her own choice. There were goals to be met and dreams to be fulfilled. She did not have time to be sidetracked by carnal desires. All of that could happen later at a more convenient time.

Adila returned to the living room so they could continue with their marathon study session until way past midnight in preparation for finals. It was a Saturday night and everyone else was out partying somewhere. The two of them, relentless nerds that they are, were sleepy and exhausted from studying for over six hours.

Adila was pacing the room again to keep herself awake while reading notes out loud. When she paused to ask a question, she finally noticed that Teru had fallen asleep. When did that happen? Putting her book down, she went to him, slowly lowering his head onto one of the fluffy throw pillows on the couch. She covered him up with the pink blanket from the back of her couch. Men always look so cute in pink, especially him with his dark hair and light colored skin. She bent to take his glasses off, her eyes settling on his dark pink lips that were pursed thoughtfully in sleep. Did this man ever relax? Tracing them with her finger, she was pleased to see them loosen into a soft smile.

"Good night, Sweet Prince," she whispered, kissing his forehead.

Adila went to her bedroom, closing the door but not locking it. They had been friends long enough that she knew she had nothing to fear from him. Taking off her jeans but not her t-shirt, she settled into the bed to get some sleep.

...

Teru awoke with a start wondering where he was at first in the groggy, sleep induced confusion that muddled his mind. Reaching to the coffee table in hopes his glasses would be there, his fingers landed right on them and pulled them to his face.

"Her apartment? Damn!" he exclaimed in a hiss, sitting up. "When did I fall asleep?"

Cursing himself for the lack of control by doing such a silly thing as falling asleep, he stumbled toward her bathroom. After splashing cold water on his face to wake himself fully, he stopped at her bedroom door to softly knock. The door opened slightly, and he tentatively pushed it open.

"Adila, I –" His words were stolen from him by the shocking yet pleasing sight of her behind in nothing but a tiny pair of panties displayed before him. He could see that her t-shirt had ridden up and was twisted around her waist. She had thrown her leg above the cover which left her backside totally exposed. She must be a very active sleeper.

Teru mentally chided himself for being a pervert and carefully closed the door. He decided to just write a note and leave quietly so he would not wake her. He had just finished writing the note when she came into the living room in her t-shirt and panties, rubbing her eyes like a small child. Taking advantage of her half-asleep state, his eyes roamed over her body approvingly, locking onto her face when her eyes focused on him.

"Are you leaving?" she queried, sounding a bit whiney.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I was just going to leave and let you sleep," he explained, dropping the note on the table.

"You can stay. I don't mind. You can even lie down in the bed with me if you promise to behave yourself," she told him, turning to leave the room.

Adila fixed the sheet and blanket before lying back down. She had always been a rough sleeper, tossing and turning quite frequently. Settling back into her spot that was still warm, she did not care if he came in here or not. Drowsiness was descending over her like one of her soft blankets, when she felt him slide into the bed next to her. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth when she felt him firmly tucking the sheet and blanket under her to create a barrier between them. He was so incredibly odd but she liked him anyway.

"Good night, dear," she giggled.

"Good night, honey," he responded with a chuckle.

They both got comfortable and went right to sleep. From now on they would have to call a halt to their study sessions at a more decent time.

...

Adila woke up trapped. At some point, Teru had broken through the cloth barrier he had installed and wrapped his arms and legs around her. Giggling softly she attempted to move but he had a strong hold on her. Turning over within the confines of her human prison, she came face to face with him. She had forgotten how handsome he really is. With his face completely stress-free in sleep, he was almost girly pretty. Soft wisps of his hair curled around his face to create a gorgeous black frame to showcase his good looks. Without thinking, she moved closer to brush her lips against his. They were so soft and velvety she went back to touch them again with hers. Carefully placing her lips against his, she laid there completely still. She gasped when his arms tightened around her at the very moment he puckered and moved his lips against hers. Well, that's what she gets for being curious. Now she was locked in a tight embrace and a breath stealing kiss from a man who was completely asleep and dreaming erotic dreams apparently. She tried to break the kiss when his hand moved to her breast, fondling it tenderly.

"Oh, Adila," he murmured against her lips.

Oh, damn. At least he was dreaming about her and not another woman. She wriggled to see if she could loosen his grip. When Teru relaxed his grip on her and turned halfway onto his back, she shimmied down his body to free herself. It was working great until he rolled back toward her bringing her face to crotch with an impressive morning hard on.

"Oh, dear," she squeaked, trundling off the bed to retreat to the bathroom before he woke up.

Adila turned on the shower to take a swift chilling dip to cool herself. Couldn't she have found an ugly guy to be friends with? She was just stepping out of the shower when she heard a low knock at the door.

"Can I come in? It's really an emergency," he said, his voice sounding strained and tight.

"Hang on." She grabbed her robe and threw it on over her towel. Opening the door, she slipped past him hurriedly when he moved back. "It's all yours."

"Thank you," he returned gratefully, slamming the door in his haste without meaning to.

Adila giggled with the slightest bit of unkind delight because she already knew his emergency. She dried off hastily so she could be dressed by the time he came out. Her t-shirt had just met her waist when he came back into her room.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized, his face turning pink.

"It's all right. I'm dressed," she assured him, turning around in her short shorts and skin tight t-shirt.

"Are you sure?" he asked, raising a black eyebrow skeptically. "The t-shirt you wore to bed last night covered more than that."

"I'm just going to be inside all day studying. Besides, I'd freeze if I went outside. It's not exactly weather appropriate," she pointed out, looking at the snow falling outside of her window.

'That's not appropriate for much of anything,' he thought to himself.

"No, you're not staying inside all day long," he informed her, rushing on before she could come back with a snotty retort. "I'm taking you out to breakfast."

...

Adila stared at the platter full of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and pancakes. Reaching up to her chin self-consciously, she checked for drool. This was incredible.

"How did you find a place that serves American food?" she asked, grabbing her fork and getting ready to dive in.

"There are not many eateries that serve American food, but there's a few. I have eaten here a few times. I wanted to be sure the food was really good before bringing you," he said, watching her apprehensively as she attacked the scrambled eggs. "Are you sure you can eat all of that?"

"Oh, yes! Without a doubt," she answered around the mouthful of hash browns.

"Wow. That's uh…astounding," he muttered, wincing as she stabbed the helpless sausage link and shoved it into her treacherous maw. He had seen her eat before but never with the vigor and passion she was using at this moment. It was terrifying.

Adila ignored him and continued stuffing her face while relishing the wonderful food. She had not tasted anything like this in six months since coming to Japan. Tasting the food made her realize she missed home – and her family. Raising her eyes to his, she finished chewing the food in her mouth and swallowed.

"Thank you," she said, taking a delicate sip of her coffee.

"For what?" he asked, staring at the sad wreckage on her plate that was once a picture perfect platter of food.

"Bringing me here. This reminds me of home. Thank you," she repeated, cutting into the pancakes topped with whipped cream and strawberries.

"You deserve a treat to help you relax. You've been studying really hard. You will do great on your exams next week," he assured her, giving her a rare smile.

Adila loved it when he smiled. It made him look so sweet and innocent. Usually he wore a solemn, emotionless face and appeared to be deep in thought. What in the world was a man so young always thinking about so seriously?

"How did you learn Japanese so well?" Teru inquired to change the subject.

Adila explained how her parents opted to host exchange students when she entered high school. They thought it would be good for her to experience different cultures and make new friends. It might help her decide what she wanted to do with her life. Well, they were right. Her senior year their student was a boy from Japan which caused a major uproar because they were supposed to receive a girl student. As luck would have it, all of the other students were placed and no one was able to trade or it would have upset the same sex dynamic of students in their households.

After much trepidation and pretty much having no choice other than to send the kid back home to Japan, her parents let him stay. Strict rules and measures for behavior were put into place but teenagers always find a way to make something happen when they want it badly enough. Stereotypes about race were quickly crushed with the knowledge they both gained that school year. She got a true international education not only in language but anatomy as well.

"You're a very interesting woman, Adila," Teru remarked, leaning back with hands behind his head.

"Yes, you've told me that before," she responded, finishing the last bites of food on her plate.

"Make good grades and I'll take you out again," he said with a smile.

"Are you bribing me?"

"Yes."

Adila could handle being bribed like this.

...

"Hey, lady, give me your purse!" the well-dressed little jerk demanded, grabbing the confused woman's purse as the subway doors opened. He even added a well-placed punch to knock her out so she would not follow him.

Adila knew that guy was trouble the whole subway ride home. She had been observing him warily when she caught him eyeing everyone in the car as if to determine who would be the easiest victim. She almost overlooked him at first because he was a clean cut kid in a school uniform. However, most teenagers don't show that much interest in the adults around them unless they are up to something.

"Teru! What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled after him when he took off after the kid. She watched the scene unfold before her eyes with a feeling of detachment because it was so shocking.

Teru snatched the boy by the collar of his jacket, pulling back forcefully.

The kid resembled a dog that had reached the end of his chain as his feet flew out from under him. He was slammed to the ground by his black haired captor with ruthless force.

"Teru! STOP!" Adila screamed when the man commenced to beating the boy senseless. She ran toward him, chancing getting hit with his pounding fists as she grabbed him by the arms. "Stop, please!"

Teru was like a rampaging, thoughtless beast as he continued to hammer the boy's bloody face. He could hear a voice calling from far away, calling him back to sanity. Recognizing Adila's voice he immediately stopped, panting and blinking at the battered boy he was hovering over.

"Teru, what the hell – "

"I'll explain later. Just get me out of here."

When they returned to her apartment, Teru disappeared to the bathroom to clean his bloody fists while she went to the kitchen to make tea. Adila felt ridiculous but did not know what the hell else to do. She would never have believed he was capable of such violence. Her hands trembled making the tea cups clink against the saucers as she put them down.

"Explain to me what happened," she demanded unsympathetically when she joined him in the living room with the tea.

Teru went on to explain how bullies plagued him when he was a young boy. He hated to see other kids picked on and beat up as well. He became a self-proclaimed advocate for the beaten and abused of his school. Eventually he was able to band the weak together to make a unified stand against the bullies torturing him and his fellow students. After that it became his personal goal to always fight for the weak when they could not fight for themselves. Brutality and evil deserved to be punished, and he was determined to see to that. It was that purpose that led him to the choice of being a prosecuting attorney.

"So I guess we both have this rare need to be heroes of a sort," Adila murmured, running her fingers through his hair.

"I suppose so," he rejoined, taking her hand in his. "Hopefully I scared the hell out of that kid so he won't ever do anything so stupid again."

"I don't know about that boy but it sure worked on me," she muttered, drinking her tea.

"I would never hurt you," he assured her, stroking her hair.

Adila avoided his intense gaze, concentrating on the tea bag in her cup. She was getting more mixed up by this jigsaw puzzle of a man before her. What other fascinating and scary secrets did he hold locked behind that handsome, calm façade? Only time would tell she guessed.

Author's Note: Physical violence is a bit out of character for Teru, however, I thought it more appropriate and easier to carry of in a written story than his creepy death glare that causes people to die.