I'm so tired I can't even remember what I wrote in this chapter ;-; thank you for reading and please enjoy!
EDIT: Since I originally posted this chapter it has been updated.
Chapter 5
It happened again, but this time it was worse.
She was walking home, early for a Wednesday. He hadn't come in the shop, hadn't even walked by yet, but she was sick so she had called someone else to cover for her and left as soon as they had turned up, though it was yet to turn five o'clock. Unfortunately she didn't have a car so she was walking home, alone and in the dark, on a cold, winter night.
"Hey-!"
Gritting her teeth, Maya sped up. Her house was only a few streets down, if she hurried up then maybe she would be able to-
"Oi, I'm talking to you!"
It was no good; they were right behind her. Against her better judgement she stopped and sighed, turning around to face the three men whom she suspected had been following her since she left the shop. They advanced upon her and she protested, beginning to move away, but then one of them was behind her and two were in front and she couldn't get out. They reeked of alcohol and Maya almost gagged on the stench.
One of them was just about to touch her when Mikoto intervened.
She didn't see where he came from, wherever he usually came from, she later thought, but suddenly he was there. His fist was flaming red as it moved through the air, cutting through it like a blade, and almost immediately the first of the men was on the floor, clutching at his face. The rest soon followed suit and made an abrupt exit, leaving Maya staring at Mikoto, whose usually taciturn expression she swore she had seen broken for a moment back then. They stood in silence, Maya breathing heavily even though it was Mikoto that had actually done something. He looked just as composed as usual, physically, anyway. It was as if he was used to this.
"You're scared of me now."
She didn't answer straight away, trying to retrieve the breath stolen by panic and...something else.
"No."
Mikoto scowled and was about to answer back when the girl crumpled, falling forwards. He reached out and caught her easily, a small smirk adorning his features despite his previous mood when he thought about how irritated she would be if she could see herself now. He was sure she would hate playing the damsel in distress which, of course, amused him immensely. If it wouldn't take up so much effort, he was sure he could find a way to tease her about it.
Seeing neither another option nor a problem with the only one he had, Mikoto swung the girl up into his arms and set off for the bar, ignoring looks from the few passers by he encountered.
It wasn't any of their business anyway.