The Alias

Thirteen

"I know it's not very big, but hey, it's home," Matsuda introduced shyly. I stepped inside and dropped my backpack and duffle bag on the floor next to my shoes.

"It's adorable," I admitted, turning around towards him. In the middle of the room was a gray, worn-out Futon on top of a dark brown rug. A medium-sized TV sat in front of a small mocha-colored coffee table and papers littered the floor. To the left of the room were two doors, most likely a bedroom and bathroom, and to the right a cute, little kitchen. I plastered a smile on my broken face.

"Are you sure you don't want to call your dad and tell him you're alright? He's probably worried sick."

I laughed dryly.

"I'm serious, Aki. Come on."

"Did you not hear me in the car? After what I said, I doubt he still cares." Matsuda strode forward and brought me into a big bear hug. I tensed at first, but quickly melted into his arms, enjoying the light scent of cinnamon and ginger that filled my nose. "Besides, I don't want Ryu finding out where I am."

"So, Ryuzaki actually has feelings then," he started after a pause. "I didn't peg him for the romantic type." I laughed into his chest and hugged him a bit tighter, I was glad I told him everything. He rested his cheek on the top of my head and began, "I'm guessing you're tired. You can sleep in my bed, I'll sleep on the Futon." He pulled away and walked towards his room, and I felt cold once again.

"Don't be ridiculous, Matsu." His face turned a light shade of red from the sound of his new nickname. "I'm your guest; I'll sleep on the Futon." I plopped down and watched him walk over to my things, scoop them up, then walk over to me.

He grabbed my arms, hauled me to my feet, and brought me to the bedroom. "No, I insist," he hummed as we approached the side of his bed. It was queen-sized with a navy blue comforter and a wooden headboard. It was simple, yet it seemed so... Matsuda.

"Are you sure? I'm small, so I can fit perfectly on the Futon-"

He put his hands on my shoulders and cut me off, "Relax. I'll be fine. Now, sleep." After placing my things on his bed, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. For almost fifteen minutes I sat on the bed, unmoving, staring at the door. I kind of wish he'd stay.

I got undressed slowly and settled into my red fuzzy sleep shorts and a tank top before sliding under the soft covers. I stared blankly at the ceiling as my mind slowly drifted deeper and deeper into the dark part of my brain. My mind lingered over my thoughts of death, curious to know just what it feels like and how everyone I knew would react to my passing, that is if anyone would care.

I snapped myself out of it, afraid that if I thought too hard, I may find myself standing on the edge of Matsuda's apartment building. Shaking, I sat up hugging my arms around my chest, and pondered whether I should seek the comfort of being near Matsuda. After a moment's hesitation, I got up, moved towards the door, swung it open, and tiptoed over to him. It looked like he was in a deep sleep, so I curled up at his feet and stared at the blank TV, shivering violently. Suddenly, Matsu sat up, pulled me into his chest, and laid us down. He threw the black fuzzy blanket he used over the both of us. His head rested on a pillow against the armrest whilst my head rested on his chest. Hesitantly, I turned over to face him, pressing my nose lightly against his collarbone. The warmth of his breath tickled my forehead and at that moment, it felt like I was completely safe. I eventually let my guard down and relaxed my muscles, the calm before the storm. Then it hit me, like a sudden cloud of arrows soaring down at a horde of soldiers. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks at rapid speed, and I clutched Matsuda's back in an attempt to pull him closer to my chest and sobbed.

He tensed at first, startled by my actions, but quickly softened. He cradled the back of my head gently, obviously unsure of how to handle my sudden outburst. In an attempt to make him less uncomfortable, I nuzzled my head into the nape of his neck and forced myself to stop crying. A lump formed in my throat as I stemmed the flow of tears and I held my breath, trying to slow my breathing. Matsu sensed my struggle and ran his fingers through my hair, comforting me as I became the most vulnerable I had been in a while.

***

"Are you sure you don't want me to take the day off and stay here with you?" Matsuda asked for at least the 4th time as he got ready for the day. I stood up from the couch and walked over to him.

"I've said it 3 times already. Go to work," I rushed, pointing at him sternly. "And remember, no one is to know I'm here."

"I promise I won't say a word."

"Thank you, Matsu," I said as I kissed him on the cheek and walked to my backpack to fish out my laptop. Matsu stood in place looking happily flustered for a couple of seconds before quickly making his way out of the apartment. Once I took out my laptop, I plopped down on the Futon, placed it on the coffee table in front of me, and pulled the table closer to me. I slid my finger across the trackpad and opened my search engine to look up where the nearest library was. If I was going to proceed with my alias idea, I needed to find the closest library to here so I could get in and out as quickly as possible. The closest library was about 25 blocks away. Shit. Now what? I thought back to the wad of cash my birth parents left me and began to wonder what kind of apartment that amount of money could get me.

About three hours later, I had found the perfect place. It was a condo, not an apartment, and it was for sale instead of rent, which was perfect because I wouldn't be able to keep up with rent anyways. It was only two blocks from the library and the interior looked beautiful. I called the landlord and set up an appointment to tour it in half an hour, so I got dressed, called a cab, and headed straight there. The tour only lasted a few minutes and when the landlord was done with his spiel, I made an offer. He was more than happy to draw up the papers, and two hours later I was the owner of a large condo in Minato-ku.

I have a location and a way to get in, now I just need a name... Hachiro Myu? Nah. Hikaru Nina? No. Megumi Saburo? There has to be something that I like. Suddenly, a name popped into my head. I had never heard it before, but for some reason, it stood out to me. Mika Lune. It sounded perfect. "Mika Lune. Huh," I repeated aloud. It sounded so... Natural.

***

At around 6:00 pm, Matsuda walked through the door. "What can I make you for dinner? What are you hungry for?" I asked.

"You don't have to do that, we can just order in," he declined politely as I went over to hug him.

"Oh come on, let me treat you," I insisted as I detached from the hug and walked to the kitchen. I rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out the ingredients to make Gyudon.

Matsu stared in awe as I began to chop the onions and scallions. "What?" I questioned. "Hasn't anyone ever cooked for you before?"

He scratched the back of his neck stuttering, "Well, n-no, not really. Only, uh, my mother. But wait, is that enough ingredients for the two of us?"