Chap1.2 Come in

Inside, the one-bedroom apartment looked cozy. The attention to detail and decoration was evident—this girl had clearly spent a lot of time turning the simple space into a home. 

Tsuki thought she should say something about the family pictures or the paintings on the walls, but what would be appropriate under the circumstances? The girl had just gone through a trauma, and Tsuki had just bashed in the heads of two people. 

"Um... thanks for letting me in," Tsuki awkwardly began. She was never good at initiating conversations. "I didn't want them to wake up and see us there." This last part was partially true; there was no point in explaining the whole reason. 

"Neither did I." 

Under the white light, Tsuki could see how beautiful the girl was, which only made her more nervous. Her hair was long, reaching the middle of her back, and its shiny caramel color looked so sweet Tsuki could almost taste it. Her skin was a light shade of brown, slightly tanned, probably from spending time in the sun. It looked smooth, untouched by damage. It was then, for the first time, that Tsuki fully realized what she had done for this girl. She had saved her, prevented her from being harmed. Tsuki hadn't just hit two guys—she had stopped them from committing something monstrous against this innocent girl. 

As soon as they were inside, the still-shaky figure disappeared into a room down the hallway, only to emerge a few minutes later wearing a large sweatshirt and pants. She walked past Tsuki into the small, impeccably organized kitchen, grabbed a bottle and two cups, and moved to the couch, which was covered in cushions. All the while, Tsuki remained standing by the doorway. 

"I thought we'd need this. At least I do," the girl said with a stiff smile, looking at the pale, thin figure she had secretly been referring to as her "savior." 

"Sit down, please!" The girl sat on the black couch, placed the bottle on the center table, and poured two drinks. When Tsuki finally sat down, the girl turned to her. "I know you didn't ask, but I'm Elena." 

Her smile was so wide you could see the sincerity in her full pink lips. Such genuine warmth in a smile was rare these days, and it distracted Tsuki for longer than she realized. This girl was remarkably strong to be smiling after everything that had just happened. Even though her lips were smiling, her eyes were red and tired. 

"I'm sorry, it was rude not to ask. Nice to formally meet you, Elena," Tsuki said, awkwardly smiling. She felt stupid and embarrassed, unsure of what to do or why she was even in this stranger's house. She could have gone back to the club, and it wouldn't have mattered. Instead, she had taken the girl home, and now here she was, lost and unsure of what to say. 

"Don't be sorry. I owe you my life." 

As Elena looked away, remembering the terrible situation she had been in just minutes ago, a blue sadness welled up in her eyes. How could someone try to hurt a girl so beautiful? Tsuki instantly felt the impulse to hug Elena. She looked so hurt and lonely, but something held Tsuki back. Was she allowed to touch this girl? She didn't want to scare her or invade her personal space—it felt inappropriate. 

As Elena lifted the cup and took a sip of the brown liquor, another tear escaped her defenses. With her mind wandering to places Tsuki couldn't even begin to imagine, the same impulse from before drove the pale girl to move closer and wipe that tear away. The unexpected touch jolted Elena back to reality. 

"Don't be ashamed of crying..." The words floated softly from Tsuki's mouth. "You did nothing wrong. They were scumbags!" By the time she realized how much she had raised her voice, Elena was looking at her with a curious expression. They stared at each other as if they had just met. Tsuki had moved closer to Elena to wipe her tear, and now only a few inches separated them. The distance was small, but the silence between them was comforting. Elena was grateful not to be alone, and Tsuki's presence was calming. Her reassurance was exactly what Elena needed. 

*Who is this pale-skinned, thin-armed girl who saved me?* Elena wondered. Their differences were obvious, like the moon and the sun. Tsuki, with her dirty black hair and messy sidecut, didn't seem like someone who would frequent the same places as Elena. Piercings had always been out of the question for Elena—just the thought of having a hole bigger than her earlobe was agonizing. Yet, Tsuki's large gauges gave her a rebellious vibe that, surprisingly, Elena found attractive. 

"Thank you for helping me," Elena said, looking into Tsuki's simple brown eyes. 

"Don't worry..." The mood felt awkward. Tsuki was uncomfortable being in this girl's house so late at night. "I better go," she said, standing up and looking at Elena, who was now sitting on the couch with her head down. "Are you okay?" 

No answer came, only silence. The few seconds felt like hours before Elena stood up, wearing the same tired smile as before. 

"I'll take you to the door." 

Outside the building, Tsuki glanced up at Elena's window, an idea forming in her mind about how Elena must be feeling. She probably wanted some time alone, which was completely understandable. With that, Tsuki turned and headed back to the club.