You passed the next day by running errands. If you kept your mind busy, then you wouldn’t think about how you were supposed to be working. You spent too many hours in bed already trying to figure out what you were going to do; you couldn’t keep going at it.

It was a little after one in the afternoon. You were in the kitchen washing the dishes. Suddenly, there was a knock at your door. As usual, you jumped slightly, startled by the sudden noise in the once deathly silent room. However, you felt your chest tighten when your heart didn’t slow down. Something was wrong.

Hesitantly, you made your way over to the door. Your hands were trembling as you felt adrenaline rush through your veins. Gently, you grabbed onto the doorknob and pulled open the contraption.

“Hello.”

“Hi. Are you Miss [First Name, Last Name]?”

[][][]

“I-I mean how-how could th-this happen,” you sobbed, clutching tightly onto the Kleenex your mother had given you.

“Sometimes bad things just happen,” she answered, her hand rubbing onto your back.

“B-but Mom,” you cried, turning to stare at her.

The action caused your vision to wobble a bit which made your stomach churn. Your head whirled back to its correct position, before you lurched forward and emptied your stomach into the toilet once more. Your mother continued rubbing your back as you hurled whatever was left in your stomach. You could hear the footsteps of your father.

“Thank you,” your mother whispered as she took a glass of water from his hand.

You finally subsided and wiped your mouth before taking a swig of the water. You were falling apart. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse.

“Is Hiroshima still here,” your mother inquired.

“Yes. He’s in the living room. We’re going over some… options.”

“Oh God,” you moaned as more tears poured from your eyes.

Options; the way your father said it sounded like the options weren’t very appealing. Things must be really bad.

“My poor baby.” Your mother turned her attention to your father. “Honey, why don’t you go back to the living room?”

“Sure thing.”

He didn’t say anything to you as he turned and went back the way he came. You were leaning against the bathroom wall as you continued to sob.

“We’ll get through this,” your mother told you. “I know we will.”

You didn’t believe her. She didn’t sound convincing. She was just saying these words to comfort you. You turned to her and grabbed roughly onto her shirt.

“Mom, I want to see him.”

“I don’t think that-”

“I need to see him.”

“Hiroshima said it wouldn’t be wise.”

“Fuck Hiroshima! I need to see him!”

You roughly got up from the floor and brushed past your mother. She wasn’t that far behind you.

“[Name] stop this! You can’t go see him; I forbid it.”

Angrily, you whirled around. “Then it’s a good thing I’m no longer under your jurisdiction.”

She held back her surprise, giving you enough time to walk to the foyer and put on your shoes.

“Stop her!”

Soon, you felt hands clamp around your biceps and pull you into an upright position.

“Let me go! I need to see him!”

“You can’t,” your father announced in a stern voice. “Hiroshima says it would be very dangerous for you to do that.”

You struggled against him. “I don’t care what Hiroshima says! I need to see him!”

You nearly got out of your father’s hold but he quickly switched the positions of his arms and lifted you off the ground. He began taking you away from the door and you squirmed even more.

“No! No! I need to see him,” you sobbed out, thrashing violently against your father. “No!”

[][][]

“How are you feeling,” your mother questioned as she brushed some hair out of your face.

Your eyes were closed as you laid on your old bed. It was around seven in the evening and you were beyond exhausted.

“I’m tired,” you whispered.

“Why don’t you go to sleep?”

You numbly nodded your head; it was the first time today that you agreed with your mother. You were too tired to cry anymore or fight against your parents. You needed your rest and then tomorrow, you would see him.

[][][]

You were eternally grateful that your parents were late sleepers. You snuck out of the house a little after seven thirty in the morning. As quietly as you could, you drove away from your parents house and made your way to his. You guessed his parents would still be sleeping, but you needed to see him. To just lay your eyes on his form would help ease the pain so much more.

You pulled into the driveway and nervously made your way to the front door. You knocked three times and patiently waited for anyone to answer. A woman in her early forties opened the door, a dishrag in her hands.

“Yes? May I help you?”

“Hello,” you began softly. “May I… see Shuichi?”

She furrowed her brows. “Who are you?”

You glanced down at your feet, suddenly wishing you weren’t here right now. “[First Name, Last Name].”

Your response was almost too soft for her to hear. But you heard her take in a sharp gasp of air.

“I’m so sorry to disturb you, but I need to see him.”

“We were informed it wouldn’t be a good idea… for either one of you.”

You lifted your eyes so you could lock gazes with her. Tears were pouring down your face. “Please,” you whispered and it nearly killed her.

“Alright.”

She stepped aside to give you entrance. You quickly rushed inside suddenly paranoid someone would see you here.

“Up the stairs; first door on the left,” she told you as she made her way to the kitchen.

“Thank you.”

You had taken off your shoes and made it over to the staircase. You took them two at a time and quickly found yourself in front of a closed door. You heart was racing wildly within your chest. You knew you weren’t supposed to be here; she knew you weren’t supposed to be here. But it didn’t matter. You needed to see him.

As silently as possible, you turned the door and pushed it open. The shades were down, hiding most of the room in darkness. You quickly adjusted as you closed the door. Your eyes landed on the twin bed where a figure lay hidden beneath the comforter. A smile made its way to your lips; even his head was covered.

You walked over and gently peeled back the cover. He looked so peaceful, sleeping and completely oblivious to the world. You briefly noted he was shirtless and brought a hand to touch his bare shoulder.

His eyes snapped open, startling you to pull back and get up from the bed.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I didn’t mean to…” well, yes you did mean to wake him, but not so suddenly.

“[Name],” he inquired groggily as he sat up, the comforter falling to rest in his lap.

“What are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you.”

The tears were forming again and he instantly noticed the change in your voice. He got out of his bed and walked over to you.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hold me?”

He didn’t have to think twice as he pulled you into a firm and gentle embrace. Instant relief washed over your body and soul as he encased you in protection. This was why you needed to see him; he kept you grounded and secure.

A long exhale escaped your lips as you relinquished in the relief. You never thought you’d feel this again. One of his strong, calloused hands rubbed up and down your back in a reassuring manner while the other held onto your body in a tight hold.

“Can we lie down,” you questioned as you looked up into his endearing emerald eyes.

He nodded his head as he pulled away from you. You watched as he got into bed first before you easily slipped in beside him, resting your head on his chest. His arm naturally wrapped itself around your shoulders before his hand gently traced your back up and down.

“Care to tell me why you’re here at eight in the morning?”

“I had to see you,” you announced as you idly drew circles on his toned chest. You were amazed at how defined his body was.

He chuckled as he placed a kiss to your forehead. “I’m flattered, but couldn’t it wait until a later time?”

“No. If I waited, I wouldn’t have been able to sneak away.”

“Sneak away?”

His voice was slightly alarmed, but to his credit it didn’t sound any different from when he regularly spoke. You had just grown so accustomed to his mannerism and vocalism.

“Yes.”

“Sneak away from whom?”

“My parents.”

“Why do you need to sneak away from them?”

“Because Hiroshima says it would be dangerous for me to come visit you. Your mother didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

He was more concerned about what you weren’t telling him than the fact that his mother didn’t tell him. You should have known he would cut right to the chase.

“It’s horrible, Shuichi,” you whispered as you felt a new onslaught of tears rush forward.

“Whatever it is, we can get through it. Just tell me, so I can help.”

“I don’t know if you can.”

“Just tell me,” he begged as he gripped onto your chin, causing you to look him in the eyes.

They were full of such concern and love. You didn’t want to give that up. You wanted to have that until the day you died. Didn’t you deserve that? You clenched your eyes shut as a few tears slipped out. When you opened your eyes again, he was still there, staring at you with the same expression in his eyes.

You leaned up, pressing your lips against his. Such sweet, tender lips. Lips that showed you there was more to you than what met the eye. Lips that told you how wonderful and amazing you were. Lips that expressed their love to you.

You pulled away as you brought a hand up to idly trace his face. Shuichi brought his free arm up and grabbed a hold of your hand.

“[Name], please tell me what’s wrong.”

You closed your eyes once more as you thought of the words to say. You didn’t want to be running around the bush. You wanted to get straight to the point; that was what he deserved. You opened your eyes and took in a deep breath.

“Shuichi I… Shuichi I might go to prison. I’m being charged with statutory rape and under aged sexual assault.”