One who follows through

"You ready?" Masao called to his roommate, who was in the middle of a conversation with Kaho. She skipped to his side, happy to finally be going home. Then he slipped a coat over her shoulders, which was folded up on his arm, making sure she would be hidden by it. They would be attempting to leave the city that night. She had shocked him only a few minutes ago, so his energy would be high.

"You'll be okay?" Hideo asked, opening the door for them. It was raining again, a depressing drizzle that refused to rest.

"Don't worry about us. Hajime is supposed to escort us to the bridge," he nodded with a nervous smile. He tried to come across as confident, but he was filled with anxiety. He didn't know if he could trust Hajime. For all he knew, it could be a trap. He was too weak to protect himself and the girl simultaneously, so if they were walking to a setup, he had no backup plan.

Yoli left the house first, gazing up at the starry sky. “Hey...” Hideo grabbed Masao’s hand as he tried to leave, his eyes hazy and filled with worry. “Be careful.”

Masao laughed, putting on a brave face. "You're turning into a worrywart, better go take a smoke for me while I'm gone!" Hideo's hand slowly slipped away from his. Once again, he watched the pair trail off into the night. He stood in the open doorway, as if he'd seen a ghost, and, unable to look away from the bustling city outside, Kaho placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Come inside. You're going to let the warm air out," she complained.

Masao weaved through back streets until they'd gotten away from the densely packed part of the city. Yoli was aware of what was going on, but Masao made sure to point things out to her as they went to keep her mind off the situation at hand. The engine was loud in the silent alleys of the city, in the area where the most deranged and secretive criminals lurked. At the end, an SPS car rolled down the adjacent street. Already moving at a crawl, Masao stopped the bike and prepared to turn around.

"Is something wrong?" Yoli asked, peering around his large back to see what was ahead.

"Not really, but I realized it would be better to go a different way," he said, so as not to worry her. If they were seen by that car, it would probably result in a chase. He wanted to get out of the city without being spotted, so that wouldn't work. In his mind, allowing Hajime to help them was a hassle, worth more than they would potentially gain. If he was going to get them out of the city in one piece, he wanted to do it without the unwanted interference of any supposed "help". He still had his doubts about the shady man who'd visited them earlier that day.

Now, going back down the street they came, Masao faced a growing problem. Another SPS car was slowly moving towards them, as if it had teleported from the street behind them. "Shit..." he cursed under his breath. Sensing that the mood had shifted, Yoli started to whimper. The SPS workers made no indication that they were after them, but Masao knew in his gut that they had been found.

The communication inside the group had to be phenomenal, since the car that they'd turned around to avoid must have alerted another one in the area of their location in the span of only a few seconds.

Masao looked behind them. The SPS car from earlier had returned to their street and was closing in. They were trapped in the narrow street with nowhere to go. Buildings on either side of the street made it a compact alley, hardly good for escaping when both ends were capped. He had to think quickly.

Escaping on foot was not an option. They would have more than enough time to react and tackle the two of them before they even got close to clearing the SPS vehicles.

"Hold on!" he said, and in an instant he took off at full speed. This was a risk, but there was no other way. The space between the SPS vehicle and the building was small, a gap that was far from generous- but he drove towards it without hesitation. There was no room for overthinking or planning when it came to Central City. You went for it, or you died. Yoli held onto him tightly, pressing her face into his back so her vision was black.

Skreeeeeech Shkkkkk

His motorcycle scraped against the side of the car and the walls of the building, squeezing through the gap quickly as an ear-splitting racket was created. As they forced through, gunshots flew towards them. He sped away as fast as his bike could go, narrowly avoiding the bullets that twisted past his head and shattered the windows of the building next to them.

Yoli screamed, unable to cover her ears since her hands were busy holding onto him.

"You said everything was fine!" Yoli shouted, looking around for more SPS cars.

"It was! Until it wasn't..." He groaned, "What a pain. I just wanna go home, man."

He skidded around corners, navigating the streets with ease. Now that the SPS knew where they were, things would be a lot tougher. "Look out for cars, and tell me when you see them. There are going to be plenty more where we're going."

He had given up on trying to avoid dense areas. Instead, he decided to bite the bullet and go straight through to the marble gates. Still, he didn't want to rely on Hajime. He thought that maybe with more people around, it would be harder for the SPS to keep track of them. Masao took them to the brightest area in the city, a maze of streets covered in bright lights and parties. This was Central City nightlife, familiar to him, but hopelessly foreign to Yoli.

She was terrified, and the unfamiliar world around her passed by in a second. At the speed they were going, it was only because of the shock that Yoli had given him not long ago that they hadn't crashed yet.

"A car!" she notified him. He glanced in the direction she pointed and made eye contact with the person in the car for a split second. A random man. He had no idea where Hajime would be or how he would be helping them. The car sped after them, stopping oncoming traffic as it cut in front. His heart raced. This was a thrill he hadn't felt in years.

A true chase!

"How many?" he asked, weaving through traffic that was stopped at a light. With a motorcycle, he could easily drive around cars or hop onto the sidewalk for an easy pass. What would the SPS workers do, though? Surely, they must have a plan for this kind of situation.

"Four!" Yoli answered. Four cars were following them.

They sure are quick! He thought. After getting through traffic, it seemed like they wouldn't have as much trouble. There were only a few more streets to navigate until they would have a straight cross through the marble gates. Once they left Central City, it would be much harder for the SPS to track them.

A group of men ran towards them, holding guns. Shots were heard throughout the city, and people ran in all directions to avoid being hit. Yoli, frightened as she had already been, started to cry. "Hang in there," he said, trying not to lose focus on avoiding the shots. SPS workers swarmed them, chasing after them as they shot down the street. A spray of water trailed behind them, picked up from the soaking wet street.

Another street passed.

A car sped out in front of them, and Masao was quick to swerve. They nearly fell off the bike, but he held out his arm to pick Yoli back up as she started to topple down. His motorcycle started to shake from all the action, and he was unsure of how much it could take. It was an old bike, after all.

Passing by the car which attempted to kill them, three more cars closed in on them from a side street. There was a seemingly endless supply of backup. "Why are they going to so much trouble to get you back!? You're just one goddamn girl!" he yelled in frustration. The cars behind them were not messing around, and they were swiftly catching up to them.

"They're close...!" Yoli said as she continued to look behind them. Masao tried to push it faster, but it seemed there was no speed left in his poor bike. They had almost tasted freedom...

One of the cars pulled up beside them, and a man rolled down the window. Pointing a shotgun at Masao, he shouted through the howling wind. "Stop running, and give us the girl. I'll have to shoot you, and it won't be pretty," he smirked. Without waiting for a response, the man shot- fortunately, a second too late, since Masao had anticipated it and ducked his head. He opted to slow down a bit and moved to a further lane. The SPS car kept inching closer to them, however, and they would soon run into the railing on the side of the street.

"The girlie will have to watch me blow your head off then...what a shame," the man erupted into laughter, shooting erratically. Masao dared to snatch the gun out of the man's hand, while he barely avoided being shot, but he could only misdirect his aim. In all of this, his hair came out of its hair ties and blew in the wind, somewhat obstructing his vision.

Another street passed.

On the last stretch before they would make it across the bridge, he was beginning to lose hope. The end was in sight, but they were being followed by so many cars and shot at in multiple directions. Yoli had become a sobbing mess, so she was unable to look for danger. He was on his own.

Smash!

A loud crack came from behind them: glass shattering, things blowing up, and an eruption of flames. Masao turned around for just a second, and his eyes widened. Someone had driven right in front of the cars following them. The large vehicle, a more expensive SPS car with a larger capacity, crashed into three cars by cutting in front of them. With no time to break, they ran into the car and were either sent veering off in another direction or drawn into the roaring pile of flames.

He had no time to consider what had just happened. They drove, and they didn't look back. His shirt was stained with Yoli's tears, but as city lights and noise grew distant, her grip loosened.

The night was quiet, and there was no indication that they were still being followed, but they continued to drive. They rode deep into the night, going far from Masao's apartment and to towns beyond the one they lived in. Masao didn't know when to stop. He didn't know when it would be safe. He just knew he had to keep going. Yoli was silent, but she did not fall asleep, and she did not lose her awareness of the world around them.

They passed through smaller cities and drove on the highway for a long time. Around 2 in the morning, Masao finally stopped.

A large town that had plenty of places to stay. It would be out of the loop on what had happened in Central City that night, so he hoped they would be okay. They looked around the town for a while, looking for a place to crash out. Finally, Masao stopped outside a building with a flickering neon pink sign. It had cute bubble letters and hearts all over it, but the flicker, along with the run-down appearance of the building, told him that it wasn't a well-kept place.

A love hotel.

He parked his bike along the side of the hotel so nobody would recognize it when morning came. Yoli was almost asleep when they got there, so he picked her up bridal style and carried her inside. The receptionist was way too high to be working, but he bought a room for three days. By the time he had paid for the room, Yoli was awake and ready to question him.

"What is this place?" she asked with wide eyes as they walked down the hallway. Their room would be on the third floor, and they had to pass many oddities on their way to it. Doors to some rooms were wide open, and lewd noises could be heard from inside them. Many men were passed out drunk in the hallway, and the floor was littered with trash.

"This is where people who love each other go to spend the night together," he responded vaguely. He was so tired he could pass out there and then, but he forced himself to keep going.

"We love each other?" Yoli asked in response, which made Masao choke in shock.

"Not in that way. We're just using this as a hideout, okay?" he explained. He made her hold his hand as they found their room so she wouldn't be in any danger. Room 384. He swiped the keycard a few times before the door finally opened with a click.

The inside was much nicer than the hallway, but it was nothing impressive. It was just like a regular hotel room, but with a few added accommodations. It had a large bed, which could not be seen from the doorway. A fancy chandelier, which was hanging crooked from the ceiling and covered in dust. A red carpet covered in stains, and a bedside table filled with condoms and tissues.

Masao didn't want to stay in a place like this, but he hoped it would be safer than a regular hotel. He doubted the SPS would find them there.

He locked the door, making sure that all of the extra locks were done and secure before he could relax. He shut the curtains and made sure the lights were dim. Then he checked for bed bugs, and thankfully, there were none.

"Are they going to find us?" Yoli asked, still frightened. Her eyes were wide, and she watched every action he took with great interest.

"I hope not, but...I can't promise you anything right now," he said in a soft tone. He brushed her hair away from her eyes and placed his hand on her shoulder to firm her. "Hajime and the boys are going to work everything out for us, okay? All you have to do is keep being your positive self."

He patted her head and went into the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower, are you going to?"

She shook her head. She was far too scared to think about getting clean. Masao didn't feel too dirty, surprisingly, but he needed the cold water to wake himself up. Without an active mind, he would never be able to think of a good plan. "Kay. Call for me if there's trouble," he smiled, shutting the bathroom door.

There was a segment between the bathroom and the rest of the hotel room, where the sink, trash can, closet, and towels were held. It was separated so that a person could use the sink while someone else was in the bathroom. Yoli stood there, looking at her own reflection. The sound of running water was just loud enough to drown out the sounds of moaning, slapping, and banging coming from the rooms next to theirs.

She hung the black coat she'd been wearing all night in the closet and moved to sit down on the bed. She felt awkward without Masao. She was rarely alone. Her heartbeat had stopped racing hours ago, but her mind was all over the place. She'd never been in such a high-stakes situation. Seeing the destruction they had caused in the city, and being close to death many times, made her wonder if she really belonged in Masao's time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a realization. Masao forgot to grab a towel.

Yoli's brain had become an odd one during her time with him. For reasons unknown to her, she was constantly thinking about him. Even when she took time to reflect on her life or think about her current situation, her ideas always came back to the man who saved her. Of course, something as simple as a forgotten towel was enough to make her stop her train of thought and fix the problem.

She took a towel from under the sink and opened the bathroom door slightly, setting it on the wire rack next to the door. Without thinking, she glanced towards the shower and froze. A clear, sliding glass door enclosed him.

He hummed as he scrubbed his hair, droplets of water rolling across his tan skin in an almost erotic fashion. He was skinny, but since Yoli had started to cook for him, he'd put some meat on his bones. His eyes were closed, and he seemed oblivious to the world around him. With his hair down, it framed his neck and dripped water onto his face. Her eyes widened, following the curve of his stomach down to his legs, where something hung between his thighs. He was almost too pretty to be real.

Blood rushed to her head, and she could hear her heartbeat- drumming so slowly that it became unbearable. She shut the door silently so she wouldn't alert him.

She hadn't meant to see such a thing. She didn't even know it was possible to witness a scene like that. Instead of feeling any sort of shame or embarrassment, her pure and uneducated heart was distraught. The warm, tight feeling churning in her stomach was uncomfortable. The fear she had felt during the chase molded into an unnamed emotion. She had no idea what she had even seen, but such feelings were more foreign to her than the world she found herself stuck in.

Masao was her roommate. A dearly beloved friend and companion. Someone she looked up to and admired. They took care of each other and spent every day together. So why did she suddenly feel so distant? There were plenty of things she didn't know about him, but they had never caused her to feel any differently about him. Perhaps the differences between men and women were too big for her to ignore.

She sat against the wall by the bed and curled into a fetal position. Her heart ached, and she felt sick. Was this a fear more acidic than the fear of death? She couldn't decide.

No- it wasn't that she was afraid of what she'd seen. She was scared of the feelings it caused. Why? Why did she feel this way for him?

Ten minutes later, Masao stepped out of the bathroom wearing his old clothes. He looked through the room until he found a drawer with clean boxers and a cheap t-shirt. Seems the hotel provided spare clothes. He turned off the lights. Wearing the hotel clothes, he collapsed onto the bed and buried his head in a pillow. After he'd realized that Yoli was sitting on the ground, he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Why're you sitting on the ground? The bed is actually kinda nice," he smiled. His grin faded when he realized she had been crying. He sat up, scratching his head awkwardly. She didn't speak- just stared at him with eyes that peeked out of her crossed arms. "You're still worried...I know things are get'n scary," he started, "but I'll always be here for you. You aren't doing this alone."

She lowered her gaze. He waited for her, and finally she gave in and joined him in bed. She stayed on her own side, facing away from him. It's not like they hadn't fallen asleep together before. Usually, she wouldn't have thought anything of it. Tonight was different.

The noises around them did nothing to calm her fears. She couldn't bear being next to Masao after what she'd seen, but at the same time, she craved the warmth and safety of his arms. All she'd wanted all day was to collapse in them and let him take away all of her sorrows. She started to cry again, shaking as tears fell down her cheeks. She tried to be strong sometimes, but she didn't have it in her to be tough. She wasn't raised that way.

"Yoli..." her name rolled off his lips, and it only made her cry harder. How she craved him and his touch. How badly she wanted to be comforted by him, babied and protected, and held by his large hands. There was no motive behind it. She didn't know how to name these feelings. It was instinct.

She rolled over to face him, and he took her into his arms without her asking. His scent was comforting, a mix of cigarettes and the shampoo he'd just used. He held her close, their body heat mixing under the covers. He ran one hand along her back soothingly while the other held hers. She was overheating, her senses at a breaking point-

And then he wiped her tears. He let go of her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheek with his thumb. She snuggled against him, too tired to worry about the feelings that plagued her. She only knew for certain that she needed him, and she would not allow the government to take her away from him.

"I'm sorry. I made you cry, didn't I?" he said softly.

"N-no...it's not your fault," she managed to reply, though her throat tightened every time she tried to speak. "I was still anxious, so I got scared without you."

"Then I didn't do a good enough job of telling you it would be okay. I meant it," he said, running his fingers through her silky hair. "As long as I am alive, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe."

His energy had worn off long ago, but he forced himself to keep a positive air while talking to her. If he adopted his usual tired tone, she might misinterpret what he said. Unexpectedly, she reached her hand out to touch his cheek. They looked at each other in silence for a moment, as if words might break the already flourishing emotions they felt for each other.

"Thank you," she whispered.