Nora Oliva didn't think her night could get any more eventful after Baki's fight with Pickle, a man who was frozen in ice millions of years ago. But it's about to get a whole lot weirder when she encounters him alone in the same arena days later, an...
Walking home with Pickle wasn't the problem; it had finally stopped raining and it was still pretty warm outside. The streets were pretty crowded, but that's every night in Tokyo since there's always something to do.
But that wasn't the problem...
The problem was Pickle was interested in everything. I don't blame him, but I was more worried about running into someone from the army or something, so getting home was a bit of a challenge. I had to make sure that he wasn't going to wander off and get into trouble. There was also the fact that he was, once again, ninety percent naked.
On the plus side, my house wasn't far from where we were. It wasn't long before a large cream-colored house at the end of the road came into view.
Once we reached the door, I dug for my keys and unlocked the door, then beckoned him inside after me. "Finally home."
Pickle looked around the house with wide eyes, immediately inspecting things like a child in a candy store. The house was large on the inside too; good enough for him to stand straight for his height, and looked very comfortable. It had two floors, though I barely used the top floor other than for extra stuff. I was never one for luxury, like my father. Comfort was all I ever needed.
I took off my shoes and sat my bag down near the door, but kept my eye on him to make sure that he didn't accidentally break or eat anything that he wasn't supposed to. It was kinda cute seeing him seeing him this way. It won't be a problem getting him comfortable; all he needed was some clothes, food, and...a bath. I figured that he hadn't been cleaned since being released from the ice, so I started toward the bathroom while he was still looking around. I grabbed a washcloth from the closet and turned on the water, trying to get it to a perfect temperature. Looking at the tub, he wasn't going to fit too comfortably, so I decided to only clean what I could for the time being. I also added some bubbles so it could smell nice. Cherry blossoms, my favorite. I'm sure he doesn't mind. After a few seconds, I turned off the water and stood up to stretch, then turned around, only to be met with Pickle's large figure by the door, causing me to flinch in surprise.
'How did he get here so fast,' I thought while trying to compose myself again. "You scared me..."
Pickle also seemed to flinch in response to my surprise, but the look of curiosity returned once he noticed the bathtub full of bubbles.
"I figured you'd like to smell nice." I could tell that he was confused as I sat down at the edge of the tub. "Would you like me to clean you?"
He stared at me for a few seconds, trying to process what I said before stepping closer to me, then sat crisscrossed on the floor. He continued to practically stare into my soul as I dipped the cloth into the water and gently sat it on his arm. He watched but sat still long enough for me to properly clean him with little issue. The longer we sat together, the more questions I had about him. Other than what I witnessed before, I don't know much about him. Of course, I'm not gonna get any answers unless I ask someone else about him, but I don't trust the government. They're not completely out of the question though. I'll worry about that later.
I continued to clean him up, starting with his arms and legs and making my way around his body, and I was surprised that he hadn't stopped me yet. I had just reached his back before I heard him yawn. I must be putting him to sleep. "Tired?" I asked, earning a grunt from him in response. "We're almost done."
Another few minutes went by and I wrung out the rag and threw it in with a small pile of other used towels. He smelt a lot better, but I knew that it wouldn't last. His eyes fluttered open as I drained the tub of the water and stood up. I'll clean up the mess tomorrow. "Alright, I'm done. Let's get ready for bed."
It took me a few seconds to help him off the ground since he was already starting to doze off and, dammit, the man was heavy. It was a relief that he still had the energy to follow me to my bedroom because I was not going to drag him there. Once we were there, I let him look around again before rushing out to grab an extra blanket. The bed was big enough for two, but I wasn't sure if it would be sturdy enough for both of us. When I walked back, he was already curled up on the floor next to the bed, right on the carpet. I couldn't help but smile as I laid the blanket on top of him. He looked so peaceful. I do not plan to move him anymore, especially since he has already fallen asleep.
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I then yawned as I walked over to my bed and crawled into it with a sigh; his soft breathing was enough of an indication that he was alive.
Today had been long and pretty eventful. It just dawned on me that I was now a caretaker to this man. But I didn't mind it. Maybe things won't be so bad. I glanced at him once more to make sure that he was okay before I started dozing off myself.
