If Atem Lived in my Head

Do NOT lay a Hand on My Aibou

I sigh as I kick my shoes off and drop my bag in the kitchen chair. I love my job but I am tired. The house is quiet, the kids are at their dad's house.

"You worked hard today." Atem says taking the chair beside me.

"Yeah, we got busy." I yawn and lean back.

"You work hard everyday." Atem gets up and goes to the stove. I don't know when he started being able to move things but he lifts my tea kettle to the sink, gives it a quick rinse before filling it with fresh water and placing it back on the stove top. He turns it to high and pulls my favorite cup down and places a tea bag into the cup. He leans against the counter as he waits for the water to boil.

"You may sleep through the night, tonight." Atem smiles at me. I'm too tired joke back so I just nod.

"You must be tired." He notes. I nod again, slumping back into my chair. His eyes soften as he watches me. A small smile crawls over his lips.

"What is that look for?" I ask.

"You were humming." He tells me.

"Oh..." I try to think of what I was humming but I can't remember humming. "do you know what song it was?" I ask him.

"You hum this one a lot, it's not familiar to me, though." He slides down from the counter as the kettle begins to whistle.

"Nuni?" Mom's slurred yell immediately makes me cringe. I don't have the energy for this tonight I groan internally.

Atem hands me my tea and rests his hand on the back of my chair.

"Thanks." I whisper trying to keep my voice down.

"Of course." He dips his head toward me and glares at my mother's bedroom door.

"Nuni!" she yells, the door creeks as she stumbles out. Her hair is a greasy mess, her eyes are bloodshot, her skin pale.

"Why didn't you answer me?" Mom staggers a bit before catching herself on the arm chair.

"I just got in." I half lie.

"Well..." she stares at me blank-faced for a second. "come in here and talk to me."

"Mom..." I take a breath. I don't want to fight tonight. I don't ever really want to fight with her but it's not always avoidable.

"I have been at work all day, talking to people and running all over the store, I don't want to talk. I want to drink my tea and go to bed."

I can see it happen, the shift to the other person that comes out when she drinks.

"Oh, so you can't spend five minutes with your mother." She demands.

"I am tired." I will her to just drop it, slam her door and sulk in her room but she doesn't. She staggers out into the kitchen and hovers over me.

"And where have you been even?" She demands looming over me. I am too tired to care but I can feel Atem bristling beside me.

"Work." I take a sip of my tea.

"You were supposed to be home an hour ago." She wavers back and forth, her balance not quite centered.

"I had to stop and clean the car." I try to press down on my annoyance with her but frankly I'm getting cranky. I hear a soft growl beside me. Atem takes my hand.

"Come, Nuni." He tugs on my hand "lets get you to bed."

"Yeah." I stand up and slip past mom.

"Good night." I call as I walk toward my bedroom.

"Oh, so you're just gonna leave, just like that?" She demands.

"I will see you in the morning." I tell her.

"Give me the keys." She demands, I can hear her harsh unsteady steps coming toward me.

"No." I say simply, no argument in my voice "Not while you're like this."

"Then take me to the store." She orders, just a step behind me. Atem pulls me faster but mom's hand clamps onto my shoulder

"Take me to the store." She orders again.

"No." I try to shake her off but this is not going how I wanted this to go.

"Take me to the store!" she yells in my face. Atem grabs her hands from my shoulder and throws it back at her. she stumbles, her eyes open wide as she bumps into the wall.

"I'm calling the police!" she yells.

"and telling them what?" I roll my eyes and sip my tea "I won't let you drive the car cause you're drunk?"

"You just hit me!" She yells back. I laugh.

"My hands didn't touch you." I slide a look at Atem and see a smug smile on his face.

"Well I didn't fall by myself." Her words slurred together into a string of barely comprehensible words.

"I think you did." I turn back around to go back to my room. I heard her come toward me, I already knew what was coming because when yelling doesn't work she hits. I curl myself forward because she has to hit me first in order for me to defend myself.

"You will not lay a hand on my Aibou." Atem's voice is a deep gravelly warning. Mom blinks in confusion as I stand there, Atem had taken over. His hand is locked around her wrist, his eyes blazing with more than the annoyance I've gotten used to seeing at the sight of my mother but this is something else.

"Who the hell are you!" She screams at him raising her hand to strike him but he catches her hand easily and shoves her back. She staggers and falls into the pantry shelves.

"Nuni!" she bellows "help! Call the police."

Atem winces at the sound of her voice, she was an opera singer. He kneels in front of her "You don't deserve her help." he grabs her by her greasy pony tail and yanks her hair back "Don't dare put another hand on Nuni or I will take her away from you." Atem shoves her back into the shelves and she stands their staring in wide bleary eyed shock as Atem opens the door and walks us both out.

Where are we going? I ask in shock myself. No one ever stands up for me.

"You have a very good friend that I'm sure won't mind hosting you for the night." He pulls out my cellphone and dial's Reese's number.

"Atem!" I exclaim as he pushes me back into my body.

"Hey!" Reese exclaims excitedly "need me to come save you from your mom?"

"N-Yes." Atem forces me to say the word.

"Cool, I'll be there in about ten minutes." Reese hangs up and I glare at Atem. He smirks at me.

"You deserve better." He tells me.

"Shut up." I grumble. I don't know how to feel about this... no one ever stands up for me.