Junna stared at the email, reading and rereading it again and still struggling to comprehend. She kept seeing the image of Sakura flying up and smashing against the windshield of the car. Kept repeating the moment where Soren was knocked down, and his leg run over again, and again, and again.

But now, opportunity sat before her. The email was from Regine and Louis, and they wanted her to fly over for a second interview in person on Monday. Regine had hinted that they wanted to show her around, and were very impressed with her interview. They were, of course, going to pay for her plane ticket and everything, assuming she had her passport. She did, thanks to Sasha dragging her to Canada on a trip three years ago. Sasha had insisted Niagara Falls was much better from the Canadian side than the New York one. Junna hadn’t really had an opinion on the subject, but she had enjoyed the vacation nonetheless.

Back and forth her mind went, from the horror of the accident, to the miracle of what Ayan had done after, to the new future that had been laid before her. They wanted an answer right away, and she honestly didn’t know what to say. It had to be too good to be true.

“Oh my God!” Junna jumped as Sasha spoke up behind her, “You got it! You know that means you got it, right?!”

Sasha dumped IDK on Junna’s lap as she jumped up and down in excitement.

“We’re going to be in France together! We can share a flat! Do they call them flats? That doesn’t sound right. Siri, what are apartments called in France? Pied-a-Tierre? What is that?” Sasha spoke excitedly as Junna still struggled to find the right words.

“I don’t-” Junna started.

“Don’t what, Junnie?”

“I don’t know if I want to go,” Junna said. “It’s too much too fast. And after everything that happened this morning…”

“What happened this morning?” Sasha asked.

Junna realized she hadn’t told her yet. Sasha hadn’t been there when she had come home and flopped into bed, sleeping for three hours straight, with crazy dreams of crashing cars, bloody bodies, and Ayan.

Ayan appearing from the chaos like an angel, taking charge of everything. Protecting everyone. Calming the storm around them.

“Junnie?” Sasha sounded concerned. “What happened? What’s going on?”

“There was an accident this morning. A car hit Soren and his sister, then sped off. They were both lying in the street during that storm. Ayan showed up and-Sasha, he saved her life! Sakura was dead, and he breathed life back into her like it was just another day. And then this other little girl was freaked out about the storm, and he just calmly tells her it will be over soon as he’s hovering over Sakura, who he just saved from certain death. And suddenly, the storm ends. It just dies right there, like his words killed it. It was the craziest fucking thing.”

“Holy shit!” said Sasha, flopping down on Junna’s bed, “Holy shit! That’s insane! Did that seriously happen?”

“Yes!” Junna nodded emphatically, “At least, I think so. I’ve never felt more unsure of reality in my life. Ayan wanted to stay after and take care of everything at the cafe, but I made him go home and rest, and promised to look after it all. I so badly want to drive over to his apartment and see if he’s doing okay. But I got this email, and now I don’t know what the hell I should do.”

IDK was purring in her lap, despite how excitedly they were both talking. Salsa had come in to rub up against her legs.

“I think you should go check on him. You both just witnessed something nuts! Be each other’s support,” Sasha said.

“But this email. They want a response ASAP.”

“Worry about the email tomorrow. If you’re still unsure, you can still go to France and meet them. You don’t have to stay over there forever, you know. Ayan will be here when you get back.”

“Yeah,” Junna swallowed, “sure. If you think that’s a good idea.”

“I got this. You go on and head over to Ayan’s. I know he could use your support right about now. You’re both in this together, whatever it is.”

“Thank you, Sash,” Junna said, jumping up and sending IDK flying, before grabbing her car keys and heading out the door.

The drive to Ayan’s was mercifully short, but still gave her enough time to worry about what she would say to him, which was something she had never done before in the whole time she had known him. Not until recently anyway.

Junna reached Ayan’s floor, and was just about to knock, when she heard the door open behind her. She turned around to see an elderly lady peaking around the chain in her door, squinting in Junna’s direction.

“Oh! Sorry honey, I thought you were an agent or something. I get so nervous anytime someone comes up those stairs. Even when it’s Ayan. He’s such a sweetheart. Do you know, he brings me treats most nights? And 8pm, like clockwork, always comes ready with dinner to keep an old lady company. Bless his heart.”

“Hi, Mrs. Sanchez,” said Junna smiling at her. They had met a couple times in the past when Junna had stopped by for one reason or another. Mrs. Sanchez was always peeking out her door to find out who was there. Ayan was so fond of her, considering her like a kindly grandmother. He talked about how she baked him cookies. She had even shared one of her recipes with him, which he used at the cafe, giving her a portion of the profits from those sales.

“He’s definitely home. It’s nice you’ve come to see him. Looks like something really shook him today. I saw him when he got home, and he was a mess. Then I heard him getting sick in his bathroom. Our bathrooms touch, you know. Well, anyway, I’m glad you’re here to look out for him. I was just about to bring him over some chicken-noodle soup, but then, I couldn’t remember if he eats chicken.”

“No ma’am,” said Junna, “he’s a vegetarian.”

“That’s right, he only eats fish,” Mrs. Sanchez nodded knowingly.

Junna shook her head, “No, Mrs. Sanchez. No fish. No seafood. No meat. Only dairy and eggs and everything else is plant-based.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Sanchez frowned, “Well, that’s good to know. I never know with these different diets, or lifestyles, you know…”

Mrs. Sanchez looked like she was going to keep talking, but just then, Ayan’s door opened. He was looking at Junna with eyebrows raised, surprise etched on his face..

“Junna! What’s up?” he asked.

“I uh, I wanted to come check on you, after this morning,” Junna said.

Ayan glanced between her and Mrs. Sanchez, before stepping back and holding the door open for her, “Come on in.”

“Have a wonderful evening, Mrs. Sanchez,” said Junna, giving her a friendly wave as she stepped into Ayan’s apartment.

“Are you feeling better, sweety?” she could hear Mrs. Sanchez asking Ayan.

“What? Oh, yes. Much better, thank you, Mrs. Sanchez,” said Ayan, somehow managing to extricate himself from his conversation with her and finally shut the door. He turned to Junna, who was kicking off her shoes by the door where Ayan kept his.

“Uh, would you, uh, like something to drink?” he asked.

Junna shook her head, “I’m good.”

“What brings you over?” Ayan asked, gesturing to the small couch in his living room, and taking the chair that was right-angle to it as Junna sat down.

“I needed to make sure you were okay,” said Junna. “I can’t stop thinking about what happened this morning. It’s been playing over and over in my head, and I just, I needed to know that you were alright.”

“Yeah,” Ayan nodded and smiled, but the smile looked forced, “yeah, I’m fine.”

She tilted her head as she tried to get a read on him.

“I know,” he muttered. Responding to whatever voice was always talking to him.

“Ayan, you’re not fine,” Junna said quietly. “I know you’re not. I know you better than anyone else. You put on that brave face to try to make sure I don’t worry about you because you think you’re not worth being cared about. But you so fucking are. You are this beautiful person, inside and out, and you’re so scared to admit that you need help because you think you’d be a burden. You’re not a burden. You’ve never been a burden, not to me.”

Junna wasn’t sure why these words came spilling out of her mouth. Why she so desperately needed Ayan to hear them. She watched him blink back against some emotion and turn his face away as she spoke. She took his hand, gently squeezing it in hers.

“I’m your friend. I care about you, so fucking much that it hurts sometimes. I just need you to know it’s okay to not be alright,” she said, gently guiding his face with her free hand, until he was looking her in the face.

He swallowed, and a moment later, Junna found herself pressing her lips against his. Ayan pulled away, startled, and Junna’s heart felt like it might beat clean out of her throat as she looked at him. Why the hell did she do that? Did she just cross a line she could never come back from?

He stared wide-eyed at her for a moment.

“Wha-” he breathed.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry,” Junna said, jumping up off the couch, hand over her mouth in embarrassment. Ayan stood with her, catching her, gently pulling her hand away from her mouth. A moment later, they were kissing. Both of them, passionately finding one another, lips giving way to tongue. He tasted intoxicating, a flavor she couldn’t get enough of, that she wanted to devour. She was pulling him closer, feeling his muscles just beneath his shirt. His hand moved from her cheek, down to her shoulder, her side, then he was reaching around and cupping her ass, pulling her in close with a moan.

Junna’s hands found their way up under his shirt, running up his torso, feeling his taut stomach. Crawling slowly up his heaving chest until she found his nipples, causing him to gasp when she pinched a little. Ayan nudged her back down onto the couch, before removing his shirt, and tossing it aside as he kissed her. Up and down her neck he traveled, with gentle nips and pecks, before he was devouring her lips again. Junna moaned as she felt his hand slide up her inner thigh, firmly pressing against her crotch with a repeated pulsing motion.

She quickly, and somewhat awkwardly pulled her jacket and shirt off and tossed them aside, she hadn’t bothered putting on a bra when she headed out. Then she was grabbing Ayan’s curls and dragging his face back toward hers, relishing in his intoxicating breath again.

She felt his fingers fumbling with her pants, and shifted her hips up as he pulled her pants off and dropped them off to the side. Ayan tugged her panties down and tossed them aside. She sat there, breathing heavily for a moment, while he removed the rest of his clothes. Both of them naked, but so fucking comfortable. Every touch like it was always meant to be.

Ayan got down on his knees before her, mouth hanging slightly open as he grinned, still breathing heavily.

“You are a goddess,” he whispered. His hands trailed up her thighs, then his fingers gently found her clit and began to work it, causing Junna to breathe in and out in great shuddering breaths. Suddenly, Ayan pulled her legs toward him, and a moment later, she felt his warm delicate tongue making its way all the way around the head of her clit. She moaned as he sucked and slid his way around, bringing his fingers into play, two of them sliding into her and pulsing at the front of her vaginal wall. Slow at first, then faster and faster, until Junna was bucking up, screaming out in ecstasy, Ayan’s tongue never leaving her clit as she flailed around. She gripped his curls tightly, moaning, whimpering.

His fingers moved faster and faster, his tongue pulsed against her, bringing a hot heat straight up from where he made contact. Over and over. Faster and faster. She screamed again. Screamed his name. Screamed please. Screamed nonsense as ecstasy took over and Ayan made her feel like the only person in the whole wide world.

And then she collapsed in a shivering heap back against the couch, juddering with the waves of orgasm as his fingers gently continued to pulse inside her. A moment later, he pulled away, wiping his face with the back of his hand and grinning at her.

“You are so beautiful,” he said. “and I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time.”