#besideme

“… and who might that be?” the man asked.

with big eyes you looked up at him before you quickly hid behind the boy. you were trembling so much from the rain and cold, and instantly he puts the towel around your shoulders.

“stay behind me,” the boy murmured before he turned to the man. “don’t speak to her.”

“alright, got it,” he raised his hands, but he didn’t miss the same tattoos on your arms like on the boy’s. “is she your sister?”

“n-no. don’t talk about her,” the boy spit out angrily.

you aren’t his sister or another relative. you’re the only one he saved and he’d move heaven and hell to keep you safe.

From April 4, 2011.

Song is "Meteor Shower, " by Owl City.

“i don’t have a name,” you said one afternoon. “you’re enjin, but who am i now?”

of course you had been given a name too by your parents. but similar to enjin you hated it. no, you downright despised being called that.

“what would you like to be called?” enjin asked genuine.

whatever name you’d chose he’d call you that.

“nooo,” you whined. “you’ve to give me one like the nice man gave you one.”

his brows furrowed as he fiddled with the umbrella in his hands. he wasn’t good at this. his eyes shift to your face and you were smiling so excitedly to get a name too.

“lumi,” enjin said.

“lumi?”

“yeah, means light and you carry lot of it inside you,” enjin explained quietly.

“lumi,” you repeated and leaned your head against his shoulder. “enjin and lumi. i like it.”

“i need them gone,” you cried. “please enjin. please please please.”

your nails were bloody from scratching the slave tattoos, and so were your arms. deep scratches running along your skin where you, and him, had been marked forever.

again he tried to approach you, but you were like a caged animal. weakly you tried to shove him away.

“lumi, listen,” he spoke. “listen… hey… HEY!”

flinching you stared at him with big eyes and he instantly felt bad. guilt clawed at his throat as he used the moment you froze to pull you into his arms.

“i might have a solution,” he murmured into your hair. “tattoos.”

“tattoos?” you hiccuped.

“mm,” he nodded. “to cover ‘em up.”

“ooooh,” you looked up to him. “i want flowers. many flowers!”

“flowers, hm? yea, i like that,” he smiled. “might get some too.”

“really?”

he nodded. he didn’t tell you, but he was also sick staring at the marks that once defined his life.

“enjin!” you called out as he joined you on the roof of the cleaners headquarter.

you were dancing like you always did when you were up here. and enjin was watching you with a soft expression.

“rudo had told me about the sky in the sphere, and it’s full of stars!”

“mm. he did?”

“yes! and they’re all sparkly,” beaming you opened your arms and twirled around.

enjin jumped up suddenly and caught you before you could fall. sometimes… sometimes you were a little disoriented in your movements. that’s why enjin refused talking you to missions, despite you being a giver.

“enjin, will you take me up there and dance with me under the stars?”

his expression softened, but his heart broke, because it’ll never happen. nevertheless he nodded and kissed your forehead.

“of course, lumi. whatever you want,” he murmured.