Fat. Beautiful. Tasty. Ravenous.

Chapter 13

It's only a month until Tokyo Fashion Week.

That thought forces its way into my head and refuses to leave as I lay down in my own bed, the night after I stayed at Fat's and after I was attacked by whatever that horrible monster was.

Only a month...

I should be excited and planning my week down to the last second, not worrying about something possibly jumping out at me if I can't flip on the light switch in my closet fast enough.

I chose not to stay another night at Fat Gum's, despite wanting nothing more than to stay there forever under his protection. And I'm certain he would've let me.

His guilt is so obviously eating him alive. It became clear just how protective he's feeling after he spent almost an hour sweeping through my whole apartment, making sure nothing was off.

If I were to stay with him and let him keep watch over me like we both actually want, I fear I'll fall into some kind of codependency and never feel safe alone again.

Yes, I have to have the TV on while I'm going to sleep and I have music playing for background noise constantly, but I'm not going to depend on someone else to make my life feel normal again. I can't. Fat is my friend and I adore him. It's because of those reasons I refuse to let him be my only source of comfort. No one should have to have that much weight on their shoulders and I also just can't live my life like that. I hate the thought of never feeling safe on my own again.

I turn on my side and heave a huge sigh, trying to get more comfortable.

Only a month until Fashion Week....

As I close my eyes to the chatter of the TV, pulling my soft, squishy pillow to my chest, I remind my anxious heart that Fat will be here in the morning and every other morning to come and I promise myself that I will be okay by the time I set foot on that first runway a month from now.

I will...

--

Fat and I both gasp in unison as we watch the next episode of Honeymoon for Twelve the following Monday.

He's over at my place and he's brought over some takeout that we munch on while Kimi tells her husband that she cheated on him!

"I thought you were good, Kimi! I thought you deserved better!" Fat admonishes her from the couch, actually looking a little heartbroken.

I put an arm as far around him as I can, rubbing his broad back. I've found myself doing a lot of that lately, finding any excuse to hang onto him. It's his own fault he's so damn soft and warm. But he's not complaining.

"It's okay, big guy, a lot of the other couples are still being true to each other. Look at Hina and Naoki. They're not even tempted. Kimi and her husband are toxic for each other. Sometimes people just don't work together as a couple."

He looks even more downtrodden now for some reason. I thought what I said might be uplifting, why does it seem like it upset him? Is he really that torn up over Kimi?

"You okay?" I ask, feeling a tinge of worry for him. I don't like that look on his face.

His eyes turn to me and I'm startled by what I see there. What am I seeing there?

I'm about to say something more to comfort him when the show breaks for commercials and a familiar, reddened face is suddenly on the screen.

"Three Surges... please," Suneater says to my character bashfully and she replies with a secretive smile, offering up the three different Surge flavors which Red and Steel take two of.