Grand Re-Opening

She motioned for him to bend down a little so she could reach his lips. Ezhno was much taller than she was and the only other option would have been to climb the man.

The towering man bent down so she could reach. He was blushing badly.

She did stable herself with her hands on his chest. When Aquene did kiss him it was gentle, and she lingered for a few seconds before pulling away.

Ezhno blushed as he hesitantly closed his eyes. When she leaned back he gave a slight nod.

Aquene smiled up ag him and cupped his cheek. “You alright, big guy?”

:P-p-perfectly fine.” He said with a stuttering smile. 

She motioned for him to bend down a little so she could reach his lips. Ezhno was much taller than she was and the only other option would have been to climb the man.

The towering man bent down so she could reach. He was blushing badly.

She did stable herself with her hands on his chest. When Aquene did kiss him it was gentle, and she lingered for a few seconds before pulling away.

Ezhno blushed as he hesitantly closed his eyes. When she leaned back he gave a slight nod.

Xia smiled walking with arms full of children into the kitchen. “Cooking?” He asked moving over to kiss her cheek. “What are you cooking and do you need help?”

She continued to read the braille in her recipe book. Mizuko gave Xia a hug and kisses to her kids. “Yes. I’m cooking that dish. The one you really like.” The partly blind woman replied. “I don’t know I need help.”  

Xia smiled before setting the kids down giving them each a playful pat on the butt. “Run along Daddy’s going to help in the kitchen.” He looked back at Mizuko and looked over her shoulder.

They ran off upstairs as their mother rubbed her eyes as if getting sleepy. “How was work?” Mizuko asked looking over at him then out the window. It was starting to get dark and she started to dread it. 

“It was fairly decent. A good turn of profit.” he moved to start heping her with the recipe. “What’s wrong?” 

“Well, I guess job satisfaction is important,” Shin said, blowing on his coffee before drinking it. He was glad she seemed so confident that his memories were going to come back. For whatever reason, he had a hard time feeling that confidence himself. Shin watched her a moment, then a puzzled expression crossed his face. “You’re one of my closest friends, and I don’t talk to you about my friends or family?” That seemed odd. He wondered why he would do that. He looked uncomfortable with himself for a moment. He glanced back at her. That really didn’t seem fair. Maybe he had good reasons for it? He hoped so. “I’m sure I have a good reason for it,” he said, echoing his thoughts and trying to reassure her. 

Inia looked at him and saw the unease cross his face. She gave a reassuring smile and nodded. “I know you do. I believe it’s for protection.” She knew it was mainly protection for himself because getting close was dangerous. Finishing her  coffee she set it next to her and looked over him.  “Do you want to try to smoke? I’ll bring you the ashtray if so.”She didn’t want to do anything that might cause him to hurt his head again.

Shin nodded his head. “Yeah, maybe it’ll help me calm down.” He grabbed one of the cigarettes and fumbled with the lighter for a moment before lighting the cigarette. He stuck it between his lips and inhaled slowly, closing his eyes. “Yeah, that does feel better.” He opened his eyes again and looked at Inia. “So, uh… what kind of person am I? I guess I’ll probably figure that out, but it’s just really weird not knowing who I am.”

“Well, I guess job satisfaction is important,” Shin said, blowing on his coffee before drinking it. He was glad she seemed so confident that his memories were going to come back. For whatever reason, he had a hard time feeling that confidence himself. Shin watched her a moment, then a puzzled expression crossed his face. “You’re one of my closest friends, and I don’t talk to you about my friends or family?” That seemed odd. He wondered why he would do that. He looked uncomfortable with himself for a moment. He glanced back at her. That really didn’t seem fair. Maybe he had good reasons for it? He hoped so. “I’m sure I have a good reason for it,” he said, echoing his thoughts and trying to reassure her. 

Inia looked at him and saw the unease cross his face. She gave a reassuring smile and nodded. “I know you do. I believe it’s for protection.” She knew it was mainly protection for himself because getting close was dangerous. Finishing her  coffee she set it next to her and looked over him.  “Do you want to try to smoke? I’ll bring you the ashtray if so.”She didn’t want to do anything that might cause him to hurt his head again.

Shin nodded again. “I hope so,” he said. To think he could be without any memories… forever. That sounded horrible. He gave a bit of a shiver, but it wasn’t due to being cold. He took a sip of the broth after she did and looked relieved when she told him she wasn’t his sister. She was a close friend… He paused a moment, and his brow furrowed. “You’re… not sure if I’d classify you as a lover or a girlfriend? Did I send mixed signals? Or… did we fight a lot?” A hand went to his head again. He was thinking too much. He tried to stop thinking about it too much. “I’m sorry I can’t tell you one way or another. I… I really don’t know.” He looked at her, looking sincerely sorry and even a little guilty. He tried to focus on a different subject. “You’re a photographer, huh? What do you take pictures of?” He gave her a sheepish smile and chuckled a little bit. “All I remember of you… I have a couple of memories… of you bandaging me up. I kind of thought you might have been a nurse or something.” He didn’t mean to overwhelm her with questions, but there was just so much he didn’t know and wanted to know. “Do you know why I keep getting hurt so much?”

Inia watched him carefully as he moved. Hearing him talk she smoothed her hand over his hair. “Shh shh. It’s okay. You are safe here Shin.” She smiled gently. “You are always safe here.” She said with a nod and moved to look over him again giving a cursory check of his injuries. Hearing his stomach growl, she wondered if he’d eaten. When the last time he ate ….  “I have somebroth and rice on the stove. Are you hungry? Maybe whwe can eat and I can answer any questions?” Or at least she’d try. Shin kept a lot of things about hismelf to himself. But there were certain things she knew… a slight selfish part of her wanted to take advantage of this. How good it would be to beable to keep him.. but that wasn’t fair… Fair or not it was tempting. Disappearing into the kitchen she came back with two big bowls of rice drowning in the rich broth- and a couple of cups of coffee. Waitressing had paid off when it came to balancing. Hsetting her own bowl down on the coffee table and the coffee she held his out ot him.  “My name is Inia.” 

Xia smiled walking with arms full of children into the kitchen. “Cooking?” He asked moving over to kiss her cheek. “What are you cooking and do you need help?”

She continued to read the braille in her recipe book. Mizuko gave Xia a hug and kisses to her kids. “Yes. I’m cooking that dish. The one you really like.” The partly blind woman replied. “I don’t know I need help.”  

Xia smiled before setting the kids down giving them each a playfrul pat on the butt. “Run along Daddy’s goign to help in the kitchen.” He looked back at Mizuko and looked over her shoulder.

Inia watched him carefully as he moved. Hearing him talk she smoothed her hand over his hair. “Shh shh. It’s okay. You are safe here Shin.” She smiled gently. “You are always safe here.” She said with a nod and moved to look over him again giving a cursory check of his injuries. Hearing his stomach growl, she wondered if he’d eaten. When the last time he ate ....  “I have somebroth and rice on the stove. Are you hungry? Maybe whwe can eat and I can answer any questions?” Or at least she’d try. Shin kept a lot of things about hismelf to himself. But there were certain things she knew... a slight selfish part of her wanted to take advantage of this. How good it would be to beable to keep him.. but that wasn’t fair... Fair or not it was tempting. Disappearing into the kitchen she came back with two big bowls of rice drowning in the rich broth- and a couple of cups of coffee. Waitressing had paid off when it came to balancing. Hsetting her own bowl down on the coffee table and the coffee she held his out ot him.  “My name is Inia.” 

Inia looked up at him and she answered his question very softly giving him her name as she stopped cleaning his arm to watch him. She tried to catch him before he fell completely over but didn’t manage to do it. She carefully shifted him over to lay him on his side. Getting up she hooked her hands under his arms and drug him over to the couch the best she could and managed to maneuver him up onto it. She popped his cheek lightly trying to wake him up. “Come on..” she moved to start sewing up his arm quickly. “Shin, you need to wake up. Please.”

Shin didn’t wake up on command and not even with Inia popping his cheek every now and then. He had gotten a little paler as time went on but seemed to stay the same color after all of his wounds had been bandaged. It was a few hours before he finally started to stir. He stared up at the ceiling, confusion written over his face. He noticed he was on the couch. When had that happened? He glanced at his arm, seeing that it had been bandaged. He put a hand to his head and found bandages there, too.  He gave a pained groan. He didn’t attempt to get up. He closed his eyes a moment and thought about the pretty woman who had been tending to him. She had been about to tell him her name before he… He guessed he must have passed out. He opened his eyes again and looked for her.

He gave another nod. “Yeah. The fire feels nice.” She said that name again. Shin. That must be his name. “Y’know, I had forgotten my name, too, until I came here again.” He winced when she started dabbing at his head with the clean rag. “It’s nice to know what it is again…” He held the rag to his head as she instructed. “Could you tell me your name? I’m sorry. I know you must be someone very important to me, but all I remembered was this place and your face and that you could help.”  Shin was sounding weaker. His hand started to slip from his head. “I feel really… dizzy.” His voice kind of faded there at the end, and he slumped forward until he fell into Inia’s lap, spilling the bowl of water that was there. It was probably no wonder he had passed out with as much as he had been bleeding.

Inia looked up at him and she answered his question very softly giving him her name as she stopped cleaning his arm to watch him. She tried to catch him before he fell completely over but didn’t manage to do it. She carefully shifted him over to lay him on his side. Getting up she hooked her hands under his arms and drug him over to the couch the best she could and managed to maneuver him up onto it. She popped his cheek lightly trying to wake him up. “Come on..” she moved to start sewing up his arm quickly. “Shin, you need to wake up. Please.”

Noticing the blush she knew something was wrong then. No crude remark or lame attempt at an innuendo. Even when he was in pain he still tried to keep those going. “I’m going to press gently on your ribs if something hurts tell me okay?” She said telling him what she was doing this time.  Nothing appeared to be broken as she tested them gently. “I’ve got to get you out of these wet clothes so you don’t get sick.. do you think you can make it up the stairs?” She asked speaking slowly and clearly as she squatted down in front of him. Fear was freezing her chest but she couldn’t pay attention to that now. She had to make certain he was okay. This came first. “I have a pair of pajamas for you and I need to warm you up and sew up your wounds.” She said softly her hands resting on his. “I will take care of you oka Don’t think too much. You are in republic City we’ll work out the details later.”

She looked over his head and moved to stand. “Here... put your arm around my shoulder to steady you. We’re goig right up the stairs and then towards me okay?” she said very softly. He didn’t remember anything that terrified her but she couldn’t let him see it. The stairs weren’t so hard to navigate and she held the door open with a foot seeing if he could go in. What had happened to him?  Guiding him over to where the fire was and the blanket she’d been sitting in she carefully moved to help hims it down. “I’m goign to bring you dry clothes and start sewing you up. Stay awake though. Do you know the alphabet? Can you count to thrity?”