I returned to my room with Mitsu and clambered back into bed, suddenly feeling very tired again. “Why am I so exhausted,” I asked, “what time is it?” Mitsu smiled at me, “It’s just past eleven p.m., look out the window.” I did as he said and noticed that the sky was darker than I had realised. The moon was full tonight and it caused shadows to stretch out across the room. I stared at the floor until the darkness blurred into the light. “Go to sleep,” Mitsu breathed gently. I looked up at him. “No. I don’t want to.” Mitsu cocked his head and smiled again. “I thought you were tired?” The questioning in his voice provoked a smile on my own face.
I shrugged lightly. “That doesn’t mean I want to sleep.” My eyes started searching his face. The acid green hair that spiked thickly framed a strong face. His vividly blue eyes stood out in his lightly tanned face. Underneath his long, white coat, a slender body with a hint of toned muscle was hiding. As I checked him over once, twice, three times…I realised how perfect he was. I felt his strong hand slip into mine. “What’s up?” His voice was low and quiet, and I melted into his chest. “I don’t want to leave. Here…it’s a fresh start. You didn’t know me before, so I got to be my own person…without Steven making assumptions or getting over protective…You know me for me, not for him.” I felt his wide chest rumble with a suppressed laugh, and tugged away from him. “Sorry,” I mumbled, knowing that if I could I would be blushing right now.
Mitsu shook his head. “Don’t apologise. But…I should go now. You need your rest, and I need to check up on a few more patients.” He spoke with an unsure tone of finality, and as he walked towards the door, he paused for a minute, his hand leaning on the frame. I thought for a moment that he would look back at me, but instead he simply slipped through the door and disappeared into the night, his footsteps resounding in my head. Now that I was alone, my thoughts trickled through my head, too fast to stop them. Usually when I was around people, I could simply suppress my thoughts and feelings, but the minute I was on my own they came flooding back. But as my tiredness grew, I had only one thought left. I wondered how old Mitsu was, and if it was slightly criminal that, as a doctor, he must be at least ten years older than me. Drawing my knees under my chin, I pulled the covers tight and watched the moon throughout the night.
We entered the apartment and Brother turned to us for the first time. “What was that? In the car?” I blushed and Rin stepped forward, ever the protector. “I kissed him. Is that a problem?” Brother pulled Rin aside and I sat down, watching the heated argument from afar. After, Brother went straight to his room and Rin came and sat beside me. “I’m so sorry, Rin. I should never have… never had done that.” Rin smiled and ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t mind. To be honest, I’ve wanted that for a long time. But we cannot do it again. Your boyfriend would definitely not approve.” I nodded. I knew Rin would accept me for whatever I was, so I leant against him and buried my head in his chest, starting to sob gently.
Rin ran his hand through my hair, holding me close. I heard the door slam shut, but I didn’t move. “Oh. Em. Gee. Rin, like, what are you doing?” Rikku. Oh god. “Rikku, Steven is upset. I am comforting him.” I shook my head and lifted myself up, wiping my eyes. “That’s not the whole story. I kissed him, and he kissed me, and…” Rikku put her bag down on the side and walked over to her room. “Oh riiiight… I’m… I’m gonna go to bed. Umm… I’ll see ya tomorrow, okay?” She blushed slightly. “Sleep well…” I looked over to him and he grinned wildly. I shook my head. “No.” He smiled and ruffled my hair. “I know. I wouldn’t.” He lay back and pulled me close. “But you can sleep here if you wish.” I nodded. “I just… I need some comfort right now…” Rin nodded and ran his hand through my hair again. “I understand. Now come on, don’t cry; just relax. Get some rest.”
The morning came without event, but every three seconds I kept checking back at the door. “Morning!” cried Mitsu, catching me by surprise. I jumped out of bed and went to hug him, before remembering that he was my doctor and it was probably improper. Instead I caught myself with my arms outstretched, standing on the balls of my feet. “Um,” I said, by way of greeting. To spare me any more embarrassment, Mitsu placed a tray full of food into my outstretched arms. “Breakfast,” he announced simply. He followed me over to my bed, and I placed it carefully on the sheets before crawling into a ball on my pillows.
Mitsu pulled a chair close to my bedside. “So how are you feeling?” he asked kindly. I nodded and smiled. “Much better since I saw Steven yesterday, thanks. It gets a little difficult to breathe sometimes, but it’s no biggie; it passes eventually,” I laughed easily. Mitsu nodded. “Well if it does turn into something bigger then be sure to warn me. A little tightness is to be expected, but shortness of breath can be dangerous.” I nodded and yawned playfully, before offering him a grape from my tray. He opened his mouth and I placed it in carefully, followed by a gentle kiss. “I…I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have…” I wasn’t sure what to say, but that wasn’t it. He shook his head, tracing my palms with his fingers. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
“I should probably go, you know.” The words hurt me; I wanted to be near him, to talk to him, to touch him – but I knew it was only destructive for him and for me. Mitsu shook his head again, but I cut across him. “No, don’t argue with me. I should really be going; there’s a lot going on. I need to get back.” He stared at me for a while, but I refused to allow him eye contact. Eventually he gave in and nodded. “Okay, but you will need to leave your details, just in case we need to contact you for anything.” I nodded, and got off my bed again after one last sip of juice.
Mitsu left soon after that and I changed and packed as quickly as I could. Once my beg lay neatly on top of the covers, Mitsu nodded and entered. He handed me some forms and a pen wordlessly and I scribbled through them without much thought, filling in the new address and my mobile number wherever it was asked for. Finally I scrawled my untidy signature at the bottom of the final page and handed them back to Mitsu. He led me through the corridors to the front desk and gestured towards the door. “Goodbye?” I said hopefully, praying that he would give me just one word before I left. He simply nodded and turned away, leaving me to walk over to the taxi rank feeling distinctly lonelier than before.
I yawned and stretched. Sitting up, I felt something not quite fabric beneath me and looked back, seeing the calm, sleeping figure of Rin. I groaned slightly and looked down at myself, noticing that although I had my Tuxedo trousers still on, my shirt was on the floor. Rin’s was too, but thinking back I was positive that nothing had happened between us. Rikku was up making coffee, and looked up at me. “You two have fun?” I shook my head vigorously. “No, No way, I just… I don’t even remember taking my shirt off…” Rikku looked at me in a ‘yeah, right’ kind of way and continued making coffee. Rin lifted himself up, rubbing his eyes, and I heard the front door handle and my eyes widened in shock. I jumped for my shirt, picking it up just as the door slammed. I turned back, cringing, and saw Charlotte’s horrified face staring back at me.
“What the hell?” Charlotte dropped her bags. I shook my head, pleading. “It isn’t what you think, it really isn’t-" Charlotte began walking towards me. “You… Rin… He’s… He’s like, 30 years older than you!” I stepped backwards, almost tripping over the coffee table. “Let me explain!” Rin jumped up, standing in front of me, his toned chest blocking Charlotte from view. “Nothing happened.” Charlotte pushed him aside, with almost super-human strength. “You have a boyfriend, Steven! What would Julian say? How sick do you think this makes me?” I shook my head again, stepping further back. “Nothing happened!” Charlotte stepped forward, till she was inches from my face. And then, she did the one thing I never expected from her. “You make me sick.” I felt her hand strike my face. The searing pain spread across my cheek, my knees buckling from the force, and I hit my head on the table. My eyes closed, darkness surrounding me, and I heard Charlotte storm to her room as I lost consciousness.
