Only Human

Hikaru had slipped from the balcony outside her room, making her way quietly to the ground below. She had learned long ago the route which would provide her with the quickest escape from the pack's Alpha; Ethan. This night, like most nights, there had been a fight with her guardian and, for some reason, it always hurt her inside. She just didn't understand why they couldn't get along. Her eyes drifted quickly over the landscape, making sure the coast was clear. Once she was sure that no one would sense her, Hikaru threw her usual escape plan into motion. The small redhead moved almost acrobatically across the garden as she avoided anything that could hurt her or cause the kind of noise easily heard by the pack of wolves inhabiting the home she had just snuck out of. Hikaru made for the fence, her senses still on high alert, she was terrified that she'd be caught. Her guardian never seemed to be able to keep his cool with her, which made the relationship between them rather strained... more so when she got into trouble at school and a call was made home. Today was that day and the fight had been over that call. She loved her adoptive family, but with a command from the Alpha, it wouldn't matter how much they loved her or if they wanted to allow her to leave. That Alpha's command would leave the pack powerless to disobey. Focusing on her mission to escape for the night, Hikaru scaled the fence, making sure to be careful of falling or injuring herself in such a way that she would have no choice but to return to the Pack House. Once and only once had she escaped the yard altogether did she relax. But it was only slightly that she did relax. It was no easy feat to sneak out of a werewolf's den. Hikaru never told any one about living with a pack of wolves, but she also did not expect any one would believe her either. She knew at some point during her walk where she was going, where her feet would take her. Hikaru was going to the one place she always ended up, the one place she felt as safe as she did at the Pack house. Why she picked Demitrii she would never know. He was her polar opposite in every way, but perhaps that was the reason why. Soon his house came into view. It was plain but it was still nice and she felt here she would be able to relax. His room was on the second story on the back side. Hikaru sneaked around and scaled the side of the house with little trouble, knocked gently on his window as she didn't want to peak in, in case he was doing something she did not want to see. Demitrii had always been one to go to bed early, it was part of his nature really. Go to bed early and start the day early, to train, to have a healthy breakfast, and more often than not enjoy the sunrise. A fulfilling way of life for him and one he enjoyed immensely. Oh sure it set him apart from his peers, with no going out until late at night, little time to party or what not. But he didn't go to those very often anyway. Not that he didn't enjoy them, but he didn't quite fit in, which was a controversial fact about him. As one of the school's " pretty boys," as a rising star in the swimming team, he quite often found himself the center of attention. He always felt nervous when he was the center of attention and only the few close friends he had could show such attention and have him be at ease. By the time Hikaru knocked on his window, Demitrii was already in bed dozing off, but he wasn't asleep yet, so he heard it clearly. "Hrmm?" with a confused sound, he sat up, blearily blinked at the dark room as he looked around. It took him a few moments for his brain to connect the dots and follow the sounds to the window. "Wha-... Who's there?" Je asked as he reached for the night stand, feeling around to find the switch for the lamp. Clicking it on, he pulled the covers off himself, ignoring the fact that he was wearing only a pair of boxers, he got out of bed. Making his way to the window, Demitrii pulled the blinds open and stared at the girl on the other side for a few moments before he unlatched the window and pushed it open. "Hikaru? Trouble at him again?" He asked her automatically, moving to the side to let her in. Hikaru always felt bad when she showed up unannounced, but at the same time she never meant to go to his house. It just kind of happened that way. She was having second thoughts about being there and had debated about going to the local park. However, she knew one of the pack would find her there. She shook her head a little to clear her mind as a light came on in the room. He hadn't been asleep and for that she was glad. Hikaru looked back at him. Their eyes met and for those few moments it would be clear that she felt bad about this among other things. She was relieved when he opened the window and moved over to let her i, but the question did really need to be asked. "Same shit... different day..." She climbed in and turned to shut his window and latch it once more, " I'm sorry... I know I come here a lot. I.. before I realized where my feet were taking me, I was at the end of the street." SHe lay her head against the window for a moment and sighed, " I..." Hikaru shrugged and turned towards him as she dropped quietly into a sitting position with her knees to her chest curling up more of less to sleep like that instill morning or until she felt she could sneak back home. Hikaru was a låner, unpopular, not really cute, or at least she didnt think so. She was a Goth, sometimes moody, loved night over day. In her mind it was hard to see how the two of them had become friends... Even if Demitrii was good enough to let her in. Demitrii had never turned her away. Oh, he had been surprised a couple of times when the Japanese fir arrived at his house, but soon he got used to it, to the point where he kept a spare mattress and blankets in his closet for the times she popped in. He could see that she felt bad, but he never showed any discomfort, any irritation at her presence. As the girl climbed into his room, a fact that would have had any other boy thinking very different thoughts than the concerned ones that were running through his head, he moved to sit on the bed in front of her, reaching out with a hand to rest it gently on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," Demitrii spoke gently, keeping his voice low and quiet. Both to soothe her and to keep his parents from finding out she was there. That was a conversation he didn't want to have just yet. "Your feet knew where you had to go. You're always welcomed here, you know that. Here, I'll pull out the mattress for you to lay down on." With a squeeze on her shoulder, he got up and walked towards the closet with little regard for his own near-nudity. He kind of forgot about it, considering that when his friends were in trouble they all ways took the first spot on his mind. It was a strange thing, their friendship. He was almost always upbeat, easy to smile and laugh, always gathering some attention wherever he went, whether it was because of his looks, his personality, or accomplishments, but he had gotten close to Hikaru these past couple of years, closer than he'd ever thought possible. "What happened this time? What's got you in this mood?" He asked her as he dragged the thin mattress out of the closet, laying it on the floor in front of her. A sheet was tossed over it, not exactly strait, but he wasn't one for perfection. A pillow followed, tossed from the closet onto the mattress, only for it to bounce enough to roll onto her feet. Hikaru was grateful that he never turned her away, that had made things in life a little easier for her. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and knew that it was Demitrii making sure she was OK. He was right as well, her feet knew where she had to go and she knew that she was welcomed there. She also ignored that he was wearing nothing but his boxers. Then again, it was not the first time that she had seen him dressed in so little, "Thanks Demitrii..." Hikaru moved and arranged the thin mattress in a spot that would make it harder for her to be seen if his parents ever decided to come into his room while she was there. She then grabbed the pillow and placed it at the head of the mattress, took off her boots and sat down letting herself relax just a little more than she had on her way over. Looking at her feet, she finally spoke in a quiet voice that still had an edge of emotion to it, "Ethan's so hard to live with sometimes... I know I'm not any easier.." She took a deep breath and continued, "I do my best and get good grades but the other students don't; make life easier with all their bullying and teasing... I know they don't do it in front of you but it happens and I end up reacting and then Ethan gets a call.... Today it was because my butt was grabbed and I broke an arm over it..." Demitrii smiled at her appreciation. This was one of the reasons why he was friends with her. He had a lot of cases where people just took the offered hand and then left without even a muttered 'Thank You' and yet, despite her dark and gloomy exterior, Hikaru was always grateful when he helped her. "Anytime," Demitrii replied sincerely as he pulled a blanket from the closet. He even meant it. Anytime she wanted, he'd invite her into his room and not for the reasons others might think. Turning back around, he walked back over to his friend, draped the blanket over her legs before moving to pick a pair of track pants off the floor. He put them on as impromptu pajamas as he listened to her tale.