Sleep Tight

I walked along the path near an apartment area with Taiyori in my arms. She leaned her head against my chest with her eyes closed, burying the lower half of her face in my shirt. Either she hasn't forgiven me yet, or she's fatigued. One of those seems more likely than the other, but it could just be both.

After a short while, I made it to Taiyori's room. Like me, her knob had a touchscreen next to it that needed a code to unlock.

"Taiyori, I'm going to lower my body a little bit so you can put in the code," I said.

"Put it in yourself..." she said, her voice muffled by my shirt. "Three, three, eight, four."

Reluctantly, I inputted the code, and the door sprung open. I questioned why she would entrust me of all people with the code to her dorm room, but I decided not to question it for now. It's not like I'm going to do anything with that information.

"I think this is as far as I go," I said. "Your roommate would probably scream if she saw me walk in like this."

"Just go inside," she grumbled. "I don't have a roommate."

Again, I hesitated, but I did as she told me. When I stepped through the door, I used my legs to gently kick it close. On the wall was a light switch, and I had to position myself awkwardly to flip it on.

What... the hell is this?

In front of me was a living room with birch floors and white walls. A couch sat at the center of the room next to a long coffee table. Hanging on the wall just ahead was a massive television. To the side was a huge kitchen area, and a short hallway was just beyond that.

"You've been standing here for a while," Taiyori smiled, her eyes still closed. "Admiring my dorm room?"

"This isn't a dorm room. It's a whole apartment," I said. "How much does this place even cost?"

"You think I looked at the price when I chose it?"

"Ah... How could I forget?"

"Hurry up and bring me to my room."

"Where is it?"

"Just down that hallway to the right."

I made my way over and opened the door on the right. All I saw was a desk, a fancy dresser, and a massive teddy bear sitting in the corner. I shouldn't snoop around any more than the bare minimum, especially here. After all, this is Taiyori's room.

Gently, I laid her down on the bed and began moving the sheets to make her comfortable. Finally, her eyes opened just slightly, allowing me to see those beautiful hazel-brown eyes one last time.

Just like every other time, I stopped to stare. Taiyori's lips were plump and red, but I knew it wasn't makeup. They moved slightly to form a delicate smile. Her eyes squinted, and when she spoke, an angelic voice came out.

"Hey. Taiyori Ayaka is on her bed right in front of you, helpless and defenseless," she smirked. "Now's your only chance to do whatever you want to me."

"What the...? Don't make jokes like that," I sighed.

"Hehe. For some reason, I knew you'd say that. You'd never do anything that I know other boys would do if given the chance. You're so weird, but I guess that's also what makes you... normal."

I knelt on the ground and carefully took off her boots, then I lifted her legs and rested them on the bed.

"Look at you, doing all of this for me," Taiyori scoffed. "You're a real gentleman, aren't you?"

"It's not like it's hard to do."

"You'd be surprised. Everyone I met in the past always wanted something from me. My status, my money, or my body. But not you. To this day, I still have no idea what you want."

"Hah. I'll keep that to myself."

She let out a light-hearted giggle. Hearing it made me happy. I wonder if I'll ever hear it again after tonight. As friendly as we may seem now, it's only because Taiyori is intoxicated. Come tomorrow, it will all be over. Until then, I can't overstep any boundaries.

"Alright. I think my job here is done," I said as I turned around. "Goodbye."

"Wait," she said, snatching the sleeve of my shirt.

I tilted my head, and once again, I froze to admire Taiyori's natural beauty. The way she looked at me with that drowsy expression made my heart flutter. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

"Y-yeah...?" I stuttered.

"I have a question," she said. "Well... More like a request."

"What is it?"

"Tsuki. Can you... stay here tonight?"

"...Huh...?"

Did I just mishear? No... In all of my life, my ears have never failed me before. My senses are far too sharp for that to happen. Then there's only one possible answer.

"Looks like you're still drunk," I sighed. "I'll get you some hangover medicine before I go."

"I'm not drunk..." she grumbled.

"Yes, you are. Otherwise, you wouldn't be making such an outrageous request. What am I supposed to do, sleep next to you?"

"Tch... I didn't mean next to me, you dummy. I meant like... on the couch outside or something. Just somewhere that I know you're nearby."

"Why?"

"...Because... I'm... I'm still scared..."

Taiyori pulled the sheets up to shield her face, yet her anxious eyes were still visible. I could only imagine the weight of what she had endured today. It made sense that she would confide in her savior, a role I had filled before. But this time felt different. It shouldn’t be me. It... It can never be me.

Despite my hesitation, I pulled a chair from the desk behind me and rolled it over, positioning myself close to her. I sat down, deliberately averting my gaze from her piercing eyes.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep," I said.

"Really?" she lightly gasped, her face lighting up with a smile. "Will you... be here when I wake up?"

"I'll... think about it."

"You'd better be."

It's alright. She's still drunk, and it's affecting her mind. I can't take whatever she's saying right now at face value... but I wish I could.

"You know, Tsuki..." Taiyori mumbled before letting out a yawn. "I was frightened and worried. I ran... for so long. I even thought about giving up... and right when I was about to... you showed up. I've never been so relieved... in my entire life."

I kept my silence as I glanced over to her. She was rapidly blinking, a sign that she was drifting away.

"Tsuki...? Are you still there?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"That's twice, now, huh...? You saved me... twice. When I saw you... you looked like a knight... who rode in to take me away. Assassin or whatever... You were... really cool..."

Finally, Taiyori fell into a deep slumber. Her breathing decelerated, and her head rolled to the side. I took my finger and moved the hair strands away from her face. Even like this, she is still so beautiful.

"This isn't the second time, Taiyori. It's the third," I whispered with a smile, but I knew she couldn't hear me. "Remember when you were just a little girl? It was me who came to save you. Hah... Not like you'll ever know that. As much as I want to tell you, I won't. You should be free to think however you'd like without my or anyone else's interference. If you think I betrayed you, then that's that. If you see me as nothing but a cold-blooded killer, then so be it. If you want me gone forever... then I'll do that. Anything... for you."

I stood up to leave. This is the extent of our relationship. This is all I can do. While she's off being her normal self, I can only watch her from the shadows, unable to ever approach her again.

Oh, that's right. I told her that I would get her some hangover medicine. Does she even have any? Taiyori doesn't strike me as a person who would drink that often.

Regardless, I walked into the kitchen area. One by one, I opened each of the cabinets to find anything remotely close to hangover medicine. Thankfully, there was a box in one of them.

After filling up a glass of water, I pulled out two tablets from the box and quietly made my way back into Taiyori's room. She was still sound asleep. I rested the cup and the tablets on the nightstand next to her bed.

As quietly as possible, I exited her bedroom once again. My eyes turned to the couch in her living room.

Me? Sleep here? Even if she was scared, why would she ask me that? For a second, I thought about it, but I just as quickly erased it from my head.

Sometimes, I'm left to wonder if she ever felt the same way about me as I did her. I suppose I'll never know.

Now, all I want is for her to be happy, even if I am no longer the person who can grant her that. Perhaps I never was.

Well... I suppose this is it. This... is the end of our story.

"Goodbye... Taiyori."