Kiss Me

One Week Later

I was shocked to hear a knocking on my door at almost midnight. It woke me from a dreamless sleep. Guessing that someone had the wrong door, I rolled over, ignoring the noise, expecting the person to go away.

They didn’t.

The knocking persisted and I groaned, climbing out of my warm bed and walking to the door, opening it, ready to curse whoever was standing there.

Rather than what I expected, the moment the door was open, I froze. A soaking wet, shaking Toppin was standing in front of me. My eyes widened at the boy and I knew the water on his face was not from only the rain, but from tears as well. “What happened?” I asked softly as I opened the door more to let him in.

When he didn’t move, I took his arm, gently pulling him through the entryway to my home, closing and locking the door behind him.

“Ryu…” He shook his head, looking at the ground and letting his hair hang in his face. “I’m s-sorry.” He hiccupped, looking up at me.

“Doesn’t matter.” I said and brought him into the kitchen, making him some hot chocolate and telling him to wait there while I got him some dry clothes.

When I came back, he looked over at me, “I’m sorry for coming here, it’s just that I knew Necalli was out of town and Chester had Mellie stay over and Ryu knows where he and I live and I just…don’t want to see him…ever.”

“Did he hurt you?” I asked softly, sitting down beside him on the chairs under the counter, setting the clothes on the table. I was angry that Ryu would make Toppin none the less make him come crying to me in the middle of the night. Even so, Toppin didn’t need me angry and raving at the moment. He needed someone calming, and that’s what I would do.

“He t-tried to t-touch me a-and I said-d n-no…he d-didn’t like t-that.” He breathed out, the tears starting once more.

“Hey, it’ll be alright, okay?” I asked, looking at him, putting a finger under his chin and pulling him up to look at me. “Right now, you need a bath and some sleep.” I watched until he was done with his hot chocolate and pulled him after me. “You can take a shower or bath, whichever you want.”

“Shower. It’s quicker and I just want to sleep.” His soft, hoarse voice said.

Once in the bathroom, I started the shower so by the time he got in it would be hot and helped him take of his t-shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers in the room to shower off and cool down.

As I put his wet clothes in the washer machine, I couldn’t help but think of his tired, dead eyes. It hurt to see such a kind, loving person that way. Ryu hurt him, bad and for that, he was going to have to pay.

Not five minutes after I finished changing the sheets on my bed did Toppin walk out of the bathroom, my clothes too big for him and his hair still dripping wet.

I shook my head, pulling him into the bathroom and getting out the blow dryer. “You’ll get sick if you go to sleep with wet hair.” I said and picked up a comb to help the drying process.

“I know.” He said softly, looking down and playing with his fingers. I looked at him in the mirror; his tears had stopped but he may as well have been crying, his demeanor was so down.

His hair dried quickly and I turned off the dryer, laying it on the counter. “Everything’s going to be all right.” I whispered, hugging him close.

The boy just stood there, letting my arms be around him and nodding a little, as if he wasn’t going to bother to convince himself.

“Come on, you sleep in my bed. I’ll take the couch. The spare room’s bed isn’t set up with all the boards and that junk.” I explained and let him to my room.

“Ok.” He said and climbed into my bed, pressing into the sheets and pillows, curling up.

“I’ll be just outside if you need me.” I murmured and shut the lights off, yawning and attempting to get to sleep on my couch, unable to ignore the presence of the hurt boy who lay in my bed.

Resigned, I decided I might as well put his clothes in the dryer and got up to go do that.