The Nanny // Faye Yoko AU

Chapter 44 Kiss?

The room was bathed in shadows, the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains and casting pale streaks across the walls. Outside, the world was silent, save for the occasional rustling of leaves in the faint breeze. The clock on the bedside table ticked softly, marking the slow crawl of the midnight hour.

Yoko lay in bed, her body tense even in sleep. Her breath came in uneven, shallow gasps, and her fingers twitched against the sheets. The peaceful quiet of the room was at odds with the storm raging in her mind.

In her dream, she was back in the safehouse. The room was dark, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. The faint creak of the window sliding open sent a jolt of fear through her. She turned her head, and there he was—a shadowy figure, a gun with a silencer aimed directly at Mikey's head.

"Don't move," the man growled, his voice low and menacing.

Yoko's heart pounded painfully in her chest as she lunged forward, her movements heavy and sluggish as though her body were weighed down. The muffled shot rang out, the sound echoing endlessly in her mind. She saw Mikey's face, pale with terror, as the world seemed to slow to a crawl.

Then came the second man, bursting through the door, his gun raised. Yoko felt the searing pain in her side again as the bullet struck her, the force knocking her to the ground. Blood pooled beneath her as she desperately aimed her weapon, the recoil jarring her as she pulled the trigger. She saw the second man fall, but not before his lifeless eyes locked with hers, accusing and haunting.

The scene shifted—she was crawling, trying to reach Mikey, but the little girl was too far away. Her cries for help echoed in the suffocating darkness, growing fainter and fainter until they were swallowed by silence.

Yoko's breathing hitched as she thrashed in bed, her fists clenching the sheets tightly. Her face was damp with sweat, her brow furrowed in anguish. She gasped, her body jolting awake, her eyes snapping open as she sat up abruptly.

The room was still, the only sound the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her hand instinctively going to her bandaged side. The pain there was a dull throb now, but the memory of it was sharp and raw, as if it had happened moments ago.

"Not again," Yoko muttered to herself, her voice shaking slightly as she sat on the side of her bed, her elbows resting on her knees. Her fingers pressed against her temples, as if trying to erase the vivid images from her nightmare, but they clung to her mind like a stain. The faces haunted her, their lifeless eyes staring back at her no matter how hard she tried to push the memories away.

Frustrated, she stood up abruptly, her movements brisk but uncertain, and made her way to the kitchen. The quiet of the penthouse only amplified the sound of her bare feet on the tiled floor. She poured herself a glass of water, the cool liquid soothing her dry throat as she pressed the chilled glass against her forehead.

Their faces, she thought, closing her eyes tightly, as if the darkness might bring her relief. Why can't I forget their faces? The thought repeated like a mantra, guilt and confusion intertwining in her chest.

Her grip on the glass tightened as she fought to compose herself, but a voice broke through the stillness, startling her. "Couldn't sleep?"

Yoko let out a sharp gasp, nearly dropping the glass as she turned quickly toward the source. "Oh!" she exclaimed, water spilling over the rim and onto her hand. "Ms. Malisorn."

Faye stepped closer, her movements slow and casual, though her presence filled the dimly lit kitchen with an almost palpable energy. She was dressed simply, wearing a soft tiny shirt that seems to be cut just below her chest and pajama pants that sat just a little lower on her hips than they should have. The faint glow of the moonlight from the window illuminated her toned frame, and Yoko couldn't help the heat that rushed to her cheeks.