That Night

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Watching him from my spot at the table, I hum quietly to the music he had playing.

"You should sing out loud. I love your voice." He says, making me blush and look away as he turns to smile at me, laughing softly at my embarrassed face. "Aww, you're so cute."

I whine softly, and he laughs a little more before his lips press against my head for a second.

"Stop it." I joke when he pulls away.

"Nah, you're too adorable not to tease."

"Ryu." I drag his name out a bit, amusing him further before he sits down across from me with a fond smile playing on his lips.

We sit in silence for a while, the only thing making any noise being Milo when he scratched at his scratching post or took a drink of his water.

I call him over and smile when he jumps up on my lap, nuzzling into my stomach for the warmth.

"You know, he wouldn't let me near you when we got back." Ryu says, not putting a huge reference on the day we both so badly wanted to forget.

Even after a week, I can tell that him and Chuuya are both still watching me carefully, making sure I don't relapse or do something stupid. It's still hard to go out in public in fear of seeing him again. I know he was killed, but it's still hard not to imagine him in a crowd. I've been back to work a few times, trying to get something done, but I'm always taken home early because I zone out or fall asleep due to the small amount I'm getting at night. Yeah, I'm sleeping with Ryu again and sleeping better, but I still have nightmares.

"Really?" I ask, looking down at the troublemaker on my lap.

"Yeah, he's like a little guard, hissing at me when I approached the room. He wouldn't ever claw at me, though." He seems to add that last part as an afterthought.

I laugh while scratching the kitten behind the ears, amazed at how much he'd grown since I got him.

"So, is there anything you want to do today?" Ryu asks. I shrug, nothing coming to mind until I remember Chuuya asking if Ryu and I wanted to hang out and drink later.

"Actually, Chuuya was wondering if he could come over and drink with us later. Just us three." I tell him, adding the last part as a second thought.

"Of course he can. He doesn't have to ask, and neither do you. He practically raised you since you were a teenager. He probably wouldn't listen if I told him no anyway."

"He would if I said no." I say.

"Did you?"

"I didn't answer. I told him to wait until I asked you."

"But he asked you. If you want to drink with him, then drink with him. It's okay." He shrugs, waving his hand to show that he doesn't care.

"But... do you want me to drink?" I murmur.

He leans forward until his elbows are on the table, and he's a little closer to me.

"Sweetheart, I don't care. You're old enough to make your own decisions. You don't need my permission to do anything." He replies.

I wait a second to answer, afraid of making him mad with my questions. "I just.... I just want you to be okay with it and... well... I don't want to drink without you."

He smiles softly, his eyes gentle. "Of course I'll drink baby, if you want me to drink with you, I will. You won't be forcing me to either, I promise. I just want you to be comfortable and not think you need my permission to do anything."

I nod and get up, Milo jumping down and racing out of the room, walk around the table, push him back a little, and sit sideways on his lap, wrapping my arms around him for a hug. He does the same, his hands staying fisted and off of me, something I'm glad he has done to keep me comfortable. But, truthfully, I'm done with him treading around me. Taking one of my hands, I grab his and move it to my waist, wincing a bit when his arm brushes against one of the cuts on my back, his warm palm finally on my skin thanks to the backless shirt Chuuya gave me. I missed this. I missed him.