Neon Lights

SIX

Alexander Moon Ga was waiting awake and disheveled when I finally made it back to his house.

It was close to 5am if the wall clock was anything to go by. He looked- wrecked, hair sticky like it'd been ruffled and pulled too much, eyes red bloodshot, traces of alcohol staining the room and his shirt, his shirt wrinkled around his abdomen, he'd been doing the cute thing a little too much. He was restless, reminded me of a mother anxiously waiting for her child out of the night, like a lost thing in the wild- unsure and unsafe, looking for something. He looked- out of place. Stripped pajamas against leather couch, posture a little too angular, jaw set, fingers restless over his shirt. I announced my presence by clearing my throat. He jumped at the sound.

"Clara May?" It was the first time he said it like that, like a question, unsure and a little Shaky. Jittery demeanor and sweaty palms. Standing, eyes squinted in the excessive white light "Clara?"

"Mr Moon. You're awake?" my bag balanced on my shoulder "it's pretty late sir"

"Are you alright?"

Oh.

Oh?

"Yes sir I am. Thank you for bailing me out. I apologize for- the way I addressed you. I couldn't just-"

"You're missing" He said this in that tone, the lower one, the one where a little raspiness snuck past his vocal chords, the one that sounded like something I wasn't supposed to hear "-your scent. It's not there. "

Oh.

"I ah. Bought a jacket. It it was cold. I hit a dog, that was the accident. It's my responsibility now, I got him to a vet. I'm sorry about the car. It's alright, doesn't need any repairs. Il let Kenji to know to get it cleaned, later I'll take it to a mechanic just to be sure. "

It was a kind of exchange, for his vulnerability I answered all the questions I hadn't been asked yet, for the tone of his voice I gave snippets of my day, hoping it counted. He nod into it. I needed sleep, lots of it. Alexander Moon Ga asked about the arresting and releasing. About the dog. About the jacket. I told him in as few and formal words as I could. The cute thing with the shirt stopped.

"Let me take you to bed, Mr Moon"

This time, he handed me his palm himself. This time I laced my fingers between them and walked him to his room. This time I didn't hurry to my room.

"You have nothing scheduled for tomorrow Mr Moon. I'll make sure you're undisturbed to at least midday"

He muttered an alright. We stood, staring for a few minutes. I muttered a quick goodnight and rushed to my room, plugging my charger in before passing out over my bedsheets.

They smelled a little like him.

A lot like him.