Red String

Leona let her body collapse against the couch in a fog of drink and deafening noise, her hands clenching around her phone. She could feel the anxiety settling. A horrible churning sensation in her stomach threatened to force her to vomit immediately. She felt dizzy and short of breath as her heart rate continued to rise. I can't freak out right now... I need to focus on finding a way to go home, she kept saying to herself like a mantra as she tried to call her friend once more. On the balcony on the other side of the room, someone eyed her with interest. Eisuke silently smoked a cigarette while discreetly eyeing the wasted girl who sat on the couch in his living room, probably not even aware that it was his flat. ''Something caught your attention?'' a flat voice abruptly interrupted his thoughts. ''I didn't know you were interested in Leo...'' Eisuke gave his friend Hiro a raised eyebrow. ''I don't'' he finally replied in an equally flat tone. ''She seems distressed though...'' ''I suppose... She was meant to stay with one of the girls tonight, but Tomoe is nowhere to be seen'' Hiro mused as they both watched a guy take a seat next to her on the couch and strike up a conversation. ''Well, I guess she'll soon find a place to stay...'' Eisuke gave the man a look. He had previously caught sight of him skulking around the girl on campus. He had never given it much thought, but now that the guy was making a move on the inebriated girl, he could feel a twinge of animosity inside of him. ''... perhaps not'' Hiro chuckled as he saw her push the guy away and hold a pillow against her chest, as if it would somehow protect her from drunken, horny college guys. Then he turned back to Eisuke. "I take it the girl is supposed to stay here and the party is over." Eisuke thought about it for a while, running through all the options in his head. He was certain that he would never let the inebriated girl leave the apartment with any man, and he wouldn't let any of his friends who were staying over to come anywhere close to her. ''Yes,'' he finally replied. ''Just let her pass out on the couch and let those savages know she's off limits. They're too inebriated to be considerate of her condition.'' Leona curled up as she pulled one of the fluffy pillows against her chest, hugged it tightly, and sighed. I wish I hadn't drunk. I wish I could just take it all back and say no to coming to this party in the first place, she thought to herself as she fell back onto the couch and carefully closed her eyes to stop her head from spinning. The sounds of the party seemed to drown in a haze. At some point, the combination of the booze and exhaustion overtook her body, causing her to continuously drift in and out of sleep for what felt like hours. Even so, she remained asleep when Hiro and Eisuke were the only people in the living room. Neither when Eisuke lifted her up off the couch and carried her wherever he believed he could keep her safe from his companions, nor when he felt compelled to inform Hiro that he would sleep on the floor and leave the door open, did she wake up. It felt as if her head was splitting into two. Leona groaned in pain as she stirred in bed, and suddenly her eyes opened in surprise. Like an arrow, she bolted up, checking under the covers to make sure she was dressed and scanning the area to attempt to figure out what was going on. It was evident she was alone in bed, but it wasn't hers. ''Fvck...'' She couldn't help but mumble, in a mix of confusion and regret, ''Fvck this sh!t...'' Just when she thought she couldn't be in a worse predicament, the silence was broken by a masculine voice with a slight Japanese accent that she could recognize anywhere. ''You're in my bedroom'' Eisuke remarked, resting on his elbow from the bedroom floor. ''You dozed off on the couch''. ''Eisuke...'' she sucked in a breath before shaking her head and forcing a more assertive tone out of herself. ''But that still doesn't explain why I'm in your bed right now!'' Eisuke chuckled and straightened his back, letting out a sigh as he combed his fingers through his black hair. ''There are three guys here beside me,'' he calmly explained without looking at her. ''One of them is Hiro, who knows how to hold his liquor and would never force himself on a girl. I wouldn't hold my breath on the other two's sensibility on these issues.'' He watched her closely, trying not to smile as he thought about how her expression would change when she realized what might happen. ''Do you still want to take the couch?'' he went on. She lowered her head and murmured, embarrassed by the whole thing. "No''. ''Also, I didn't take the couch because it would have allowed anyone to come into the room without my knowledge and...'' Eisuke suddenly sneezed. The only light in the room was from the street lamps, so Leona squinted her eyes to attempt to see him. Even though he had on a sweatshirt, the blanket was so thin that he couldn't possibly be warm enough on that freezing night. She, however, was nestled beneath a warm and fluffy comforter. His warm and fluffy comforter. ''Are you cold?'' she asked, her tone tinged with guilt. ''It's fine'' he said, shaking his head, and laid back on the floor. ''Go back to sleep.'' ''Hey... I think it's safe for me to leave now... I can just...'' she started, gesturing to stand up. He sighed in annoyance. ''Seriously,'' Leona continued, having already gotten out of bed and fumbling to find her phone. ''I'll just go. I mean, you're obviously freezing, and I can't just take your bed... You'll get sick, and I could never forgive...'' He moved quickly, leaving her hardly enough time to process what was going on or what he was doing. He was lying there, staring up at her with a frustrated face, and then all of a sudden he was in front of her, gently closing his hands around her wrists, turning her around so that her back was against his chest, and leading her back into bed. ''Don't annoy me,'' he said in a low tone, very close to her ear while he did so. ''I refuse to allow a woman to walk home by herself in the dark, especially with this cold.'' For a minute, Leona was not even able to think clearly. An electric wave raced down her spine, collecting at her lower abdomen, as soon as she felt his toned yet slender chest against her back and his large, pale hands gripping her wrists. She felt herself dripping exclusively from it, much to her embarrassment. Eisuke nearly forced her to lay down once they reached the bed. He silently followed her into bed and adjusted Leona's body until she had her back to him. Cautiously and gently, he squeezed an arm under her pillow and wrapped the other around her waist, wrapping her in his powerful body. Then he came to a standstill, and it was as if he wasn't even breathing. Eisuke kept her obnoxiously close to his body, watching her every move with meticulous attention. The second she gave him the slightest indication of discomfort, the moment she expressed fear, the instant she said no, he would release her. All he could do was hope that she wouldn't, and he also had no plans to go any farther. ''Is this okay?'' he asked very softly, instantly feeling her body tensing up even more. ''You can say no, and I will immediately oblige. You are in control.'' He knew she was fighting herself. Of course, he had noticed her looking at him countless times. He knew she had been crushing on him for months, but she was never obvious or straightforward about it, and that only made it more thrilling for him. She was shy. "Leona, you have to use words," he urged. "Even in this case, I'm big on consent... For me, a no answer is a no. ''Yes...'' she mumbled almost inaudibly. ''This is okay...'' "Good," he murmured curtly before encircling her in his embrace and shutting his eyes to sleep.