train going anywhere [NSFW]

1. good boy

"Are you really going to be alright alone?"

Elias gave a reassuring smile to his step-aunt, Hina. It didn't seem to comfort her much, as the short woman stood with her arms crossed and a small frown on her face. She'd worried about allowing him to leave the house alone from the day he'd stepped foot in Japan, stressing over his unfamiliarity with his surroundings.

"Don't worry about me, Obasan."

"See! You don't even have pronunciation down on that, how can I trust you to be able to communicate with strangers?"

A deep sigh escaped from the boy, and he rolled his eyes. "Auntie, you know that's only my accent... I'm totally fluent! Have been for some time."

Hina's face burned with, some emotion Elias couldn't place. She sulked, shoulders low. "I know, I know, but... you're a foreigner, you know? Not to mention your... expression."

He clutched at the bottom of his skirt.

"I worry people won't... take kindly to you."

"Eh, you don't need to!" With a wink and another attempt at a comforting grin, he picked up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. "Sure I might be a little girly, but I ain't a pushover. 'Sides, maybe people'll assume I'm a cosplayer or something."

He embraced his aunt in a one-armed hug, and she took his brown hand in her pale one, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "You be safe. And back before dark."

"Sure thing!"

____________

Japan was really a beautiful country. Elias had adjusted as quickly as one could in the span of a month, loving how advanced and polished everything seemed. People were nowhere near as rude to him as Hina worried they'd be (aside from the occasional weird stare or request to touch his hair they hardly noticed him at all, actually).

He'd made a few stops at a couple different stores, picking up snacks at one, a few books at another and a new outfit from the last. After tucking all his purchases neatly away in his bag, he hopped on the train to make his way home.

It was pretty crowded, but that didn't dampen his good spirits. Elias was pretty damn proud of himself for holding his own and couldn't wait to get back to the house and soothe his aunt's fears. He 'excuse-me'd and 'pardon-me'd his way through the crowd to a less densely packed corner, rocking on his heels as he waited for his stop to be called.

It was a pretty long way home, so he popped in his earbuds and idly put his playlist on shuffle, staring out the window.

An uneventful couple of minutes passed, before a woman stumbled in his direction and bumped into him. She murmured an apology and Elias gave a polite smile in return. The way she stared at him after though... unnerved him. Her eyes were wide, mouth hanging slightly agape as her gaze traveled up and down his body.

'Maybe she's... just never seen someone like me..' He thought, humming and turning away from her. She was pretty, taller than him with long dark hair and olive skin, but he'd still prefer not to be ogled like that.

When the train hit a curve he heard the woman's heels click against the floor as if she tripped again, and then he himself was forced to take a few unsteady steps closer to the wall as she crashed into him again.

"Sorry!" She quickly apologized again and he wondered if she were drunk, or high or something, because this was starting to seem.. almost intentional.

"It's no problem, ah..." Even though she'd apologized, she didn't back up. He was almost flat against the wall, the surface just a few inches away from his face, and she was pressed against his backside.