A Face Among the Crowd [SPIRITED AWAY FANFIC]

Chapter 3

"You're name's Rien? Like, is it the name Ryan?" I pondered at his odd name, wondering what it could be about.

"I guess, I didn't exactly choose it you know," He answered my question as I wiped away the blood on his chest with the hydrogen peroxide. "What about you, what's your name?"

"My name's Mary Calamité. I go to the high school not far from here. Thank you, so much. For everything. I owe you my life squared. The least I can do is patch you up," I said this as I finished wrapping the Neosporin slathered gauze around his middle; touching his rock hard abs in the process.

"It's just my job," He replied when he leaned away from the table, surveying the damage. He looked at the demon and I shivered. "I'm assuming you don't know what this is," he said pointing to the thing. I nodded, clearly at a loss for words and scared out of my wits.

"This is a spirit from the Spirit World," I give him another blank stare. "He'd gone astray and had the taste for human blood. Apparently he had marked this house as his own a while back. That's why he was here."

My mouth formed an O shape as I sat down on the chair near the table, trying my hardest not to look at the spirit. He probably marked the house when he killed my parents, not realizing that I live here too.

"I guess that makes sense," I said finally talking to Rien.

He looked up and asked "Why?"

I shrugged, not really knowing if I should answer. I mean he is a stranger, albeit a good looking one, but he did also save my life a couple times… "He-it-she-whatever killed my parents a few months back."

He just stared at me for a moment, "Sorry," was all he said and then he turned around to leave me once more.

"Wait! Where are you going? What did you mean it was your job t-to kill spirits? Aren't spirits already dead? This doesn't make sense. Why? What's going on? Don't leave me again. I-"

He interrupts me saying "You talk too much. And I'm going because I have work, which how you so aptly put it 'killing spirits', in a sense that humans would understand. Try not to tell others about this incident, just let their minds create up something like I'm sure they did for your parents' death."

"Please don't go. I-I'm scared," I don't know why I was saying this to a complete stranger, but I really didn't want him to go. I felt I had to get to know him better, to show him happiness. He seemed so sad and dreary all the time.

He just stared at me blankly, but nodded his head and headed towards my fridge. He opened it up and peered inside, rummaging around for food unknown. He settled for a left over pasta container from last night that I had made.

He sat down at the table without a fork. Even though he was stealing the food that I had made and slaved over, I wanted him to stay. So I took a fork out of the dishwasher and handed it to him.

Our fingers touched and I swear I felt a spark of electricity. He paused for a moment but then went on to eat, silently hunched over the bowl.

I sighed and headed to the cupboard, reaching for a mug. I brewed some tea for myself and poured a glass of water for Rien. He sat there eating happily, and I was glad he liked my cooking.

Even though he was a blunt person who did what he wanted (no matter whose home he was in) he was still a kind person. He saved me two times, when he really didn't have to.

The tea was warm and filling, traveling down my throat and making me tired. I guess almost dying twice in one day was really tiring.

The next thing I know I'm being slightly jostled and carried up the stairs. I could feel the heat coming off Rien's body as he held me up the stairs.

I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. But now I was being carried into my bedroom and softly placed onto my bed. I felt the covers being drawn up around me and then felt a tug as Rien leaned away.

But I grabbed his hand and lightly pulled on it. I was too tired to say that I wanted him to stay, but he got the message. He sat down next to me. I felt the bed dip from his body and heard his jeans being shucked to the ground.

He laid down next to me; keeping me warm and safe from any other oncoming spirits.

Finally, since my parents' attack, I felt protected and safe; attributed to Rien sleeping beside me.