Twenty For A Dozen

16 || One In A Minion

16 || One In A Minion

         Her hands trembled as she gripped the doorknob and let herself inside her house. Through the stained glass she watched West's tail lights disappear into the dark.

         He was gone. A muffle sob escaped through her lips at the realization and Kira sank to the floor. Her shoulders heaved as her body was wracked with her pain and anguish. He hadn't apologized. He hadn't even told Lee himself. Kira cried and cried and cried, and only the support of the door held her body up.

         "Kira? Kira! What happened?"

         She had made him leave. Kira felt hands on her arms, gripping her. But Kira could only stare at her hands and whimper before a fresh wave of salty tears rolled down her face. She looked up at her brother and saw his panicked expression before her vision blurred.

         Lee engulfed her in his arms and rocked her back and forth. She clutched at his T-shirt and sniffled without regard to the mess she was creating.

         "Shh. Shh. It's okay, you're okay."

         A new conflict arose in Kira's mind even as her throat let the sounds of choked sobs out. How could she explain this, how could she tell her brother that the honor he felt on obtaining work all on his own was in fact not his own true effort? How could she tell him that his new friend had tried 'helping' him in the worst way possible?

         Lee's warmth left her for a brief moment before he quickly returned.

         "Kira. Shh, come on, I've a feeling you don't want dad to see this. Come on, now." Lee waved a box of tissues beneath her nose. She could hear the worry pouring out of every syllable as she pulled away and allowed Lee to mop up her tears.

         Weariness crept over her. The shaking had stopped, but a pounding headache and a herculean urge to fall asleep for the next century took its place. Kira barely registered Lee leading her to the armchair in the living room.

         He kneeled in front of her and moved sweaty hair away from her face. Kira looked up at him through the crack between her puffy eyelids. She waited for his interrogation, but nothing came. Instead, he left her again and by the time he was back, she was nearly asleep.

         The smell of saffron tea drifted up her nose and Kira's dry throat welcomed the hot liquid.

         "Where is he?" Lee demanded.

         "I sent him away."

         "What did he do to you?" Lee's gaze was locked onto her own and Kira took refuge in her cup. Soon only dregs remained, along with her brother's quiet rage.

         "What. Did. He. Do."

         Should she tell him? Would it only result in her hurting him and making him feel like he didn't deserve his job? Would it make him hate her? Would he brush it off like nothing happened? Was she only making a bigger deal than it was? How would she face West after this?

         "Nothing," Kira croaked.

         "Don't you fucking lie to me," Lee said. It wasn't the ticking in his jaw that scared her but the anger behind his words. Kira sat up a little straighter.

         "He... You..." She didn't know how to continue. If it was a movie they were in, a phone call would interrupt them or the doorbell would ring, and then she would lose the opportunity to share the information she had. But there was only silence, until Lee's phone buzzed in his pocket.