Always Protected

3

She unlocked the door and quickly opens it. Her father wasn't laying on the couch and she had hoped he had left. If he saw her bring home a boy he would be furious. She quickly laid him on the couch and rushed her groceries to the kitchen. She then ran to the bathroom to get everything she would need to help patch his wounds.

Back in the living room she sat on the knees at the couch and instantly went to work on patching the boy. Using a wet rag she softly cleaned the blood from his lips and nose and from his hair line. After that was clean her first priority was to make sure his skull was still in tact. She carefully looked around only to see light cuts at his hair line that could easily be covered with band-aids. She them moved to make sure nothing was broken. At this point the boy had passed out on the couch while she doctored him. Reaching under his head she felt a bump at the bottom of his skull.

"They must have snuck up on you." She whispered to the sleeping body.

After making sure he would live she stood and walked into the kitchen to put away the food. Turning to the fridge she noticed a sticky note. Went out it read in her father's hand writing. She scoffed and tossed it in the trash. Her father's version of going out was disappearing for weeks on end. He had done this before sadly she was use to it. It's what made it easier for her to be able to live the way she does.

She put everything where it needed to be and started cooking supper. She didn't notice how quickly the time had passed as it was now five PM. With everything that had happened she decided on simple ramen for food. She quickly got to preparing it. She made enough for the guy to have as well for when he woke up.

After everything was ready she make her bowl and the guys but she had put the guys in the microwave until he woke. She went and sat her bowl on the table in the living room and then sat on her knees on the mat* and prepared to eat.

She finished her meal and the boy had yet to wake up. She wasn't sure if it would be safe to leave the boy here to sleep but she knew she couldn't throw him out in the condition he was in. She came up with a plan. She walked to the hallway closet and pulled out a extra blanket and pillow. She laid it on the table after clearing and cleaning her mess and grabbed a paper from her note book.

I went to bed. If you wake up you could stay if you'd like. I know that I don't know you and you don't know me but I'll give you my home as a safe place for the night

She wrote and propped it up against and stacked blanket and pillow. She took the extra caution and locked her door as she went in not knowing if the guy was dangerous. She walked up to her bed and stripped of the clothes she had on and dressed in her sleeping clothes, declaring a show in the morning because her eyes were to heavy with sleep for her to stay up any longer.

The next morning she woke up to the smell of food. Confusion settled over her. He father doesn't cook so who could it be? The it hit her. The memories of the alley, the fight with the men, and bringing the one home. She quickly jumped out of bed and ran and unlocked her door, coming down the small hall to where the kitchen was. There stood the guy frying bacon with a plate of pancakes on the counter.

"You shouldn't be up moving!" She says instantly catching the attention of him.

He jumped and turned holding a greasy spatula at her. "Don't sneak up on someone like that?" He almost screamed.

"What are you gonna do?" She asked with a smirk, "Beat me with a spatula?" A laugh played at her lips as he looks at the so called weapon in his hands.

"Look you took me in and made sure I was ok least I can do is cook you breakfast." He snorted back at her and turned to work at the food again.

Rain smiled and pulled her jet black hair up in a pony-tail as her green eyes watch him. "So am I allowed to know what yesterday was about?" She asked standing at the bar that stood between the kitchen and living room.

"No." He answered never losing focus on the food.

"Can I at least know your name?" She asked a second question.

"Chifuyu." He answered, "Matsuno Chifuyu."

"We'll Matsuno I'm Rain," She smiles at his back, "Hordi Rain."

The two stood in silence as he worked on finishing the food and in no time it was done. The two say down on the mats and made their plates. Apple juice being the drink of course that morning. Rain drizzled honey across her pancakes and bacon while Chifuyu used syrup. "Honey?" He asked.

"What it taste good." She gave him a small laugh.

"Never thought of it." He says honest.

"Here try!" He gets some and holding it up to his lips with her fork.

He was surprised at first then tasted it. To his surprise it wasn't that bad. He let out a hum of approval and nodded his head. The two sat in silence after that and peacefully ate their food. After everything was ate Rain stood and grabbed all the dishes and made her way to the sink. "Do you have a phone?" He asked.

"I do. Need to use it?" She asked and he nodded. She walked into her room and grabbed it off the charger and walked back in the room with Chifuyu. He took it from her and made a call.

She walked back over to the sink and started to wash the few dirty dishes. She noticed that the things that was used in the process to make food was already clean making it to where all that's was to was were the plates and utensils used to eat.

After the dishes was done the boy walked up to her. "What's your address?" He asked and went to explain, "My friend is gonna come get me." She told him the address and apparent number and he relayed the message to his friends. He said his good byes and gave her back her phone.

"Let me check your cuts and everything before you leave." She says making him sit on the couch.

He sat on the couch while she stood between his legs. "What are you a doctor?" He asked.

"My mom was. She thought me everything I know." She answered. Everything looked fine and like it won't take but a few days to heal. "Look down." She directed his head down to a bow. She looked at the swelling that was there last night. It had went down some but still clearly there.

A knock came from the door and she walked over to answer it. "You must be Chifuyu's friends." She says going to open the door shocked at who was standing there. It was the two guys from the restaurant, the ones who helped her.

"We meet again." The smaller one smiles.
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Japanese have developed the custom of eating meals sitting on tatami mats not chairs