• Static fear, that’s the only way I could describe it. It pulsed in the air, cutting my breath short. Whatever it was that had awakened me was the source of that electric shock running through my mind. It snapped my eyes open and sent warm shivers up my spine. I don’t remember what I had been dreaming about but I had some sort of morbid curiosity to find out if someone had broken in. As soon as the thought popped into my head I disregarded it. Even if someone had broken in, I wouldn’t feel like this. My hands scuttled underneath the comforter for my cellphone. The bluish LED light was comforting to some extent as I hit the speed dial. There was no rational reason for me to be making this call but I was sure the recipient wouldn’t mind in the slightest. I could hear my heart pounding inside my ears as I waited for the line to pick up. I jumped when it did.
    “Jenos?” My voice shook. The other end was silent for a moment and I panicked inside.
    “Rins-chan!” Jenos’ voice was almost drowned out by static (which is saying something because he speaks very loudly over the phone). “I would love to talk now, but you see, this isn’t really a good time.” He sounded tired, I’d probably woken him up.
    “No, it’s fine. I just....” I really didn’t know why I’d called him. “ `Glad you’re okay.” I pictured him smiling on the other end.
    “Me too.” Gunshots rang from his end. Maybe I hadn’t woken him up then... “Like I said, not a good time. We’ll chat later.” The line went dead. He hung up on me.
    Still feeling that static fear that made the hair on my arms stand on end, I slid out from under the covers. A small click behind me sent a wave of warm dread over my body. As quietly as I could, I backed into the bathroom where I had a small pistol hidden under some towels. Hey, you can never be too careful right? Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, I pressed redial and waited. It rang and kept ringing.
    “Please pick up.” Jenos’ cheery voicemail mocked me from the other end. “Dammit.” Giving up on him for now, I decided to do something about my predicament. If it even existed. I wouldn’t put it past me to have imagined the entire thing. The bathroom door creaked loudly as I opened it, and I flinched inwardly. Predawn light filtered in through the thin blinds on my window. The clock on my bedside table read 3:45 am. Jenos must have been on a mission. Apparently my sleepy brain hadn’t been able to process the information earlier. It would explain the gunshots and his actually answering his phone this early. In any case, there was no way I was going to be able to sleep again anytime soon.
    I sat and ate cheerios at the counter, spiting the knowledge that if Jenos had been here I would have made eggs. So I crunched the cereal harder than necessary and put the bowl in the sink instead of unloading the dishwasher. I checked my phone for missed calls or messages despite the fact that I’d had it in my hand since the last time I had called him. Nothing. Not that I would expect him to call before showing up uninvited. Jenos had uncanny ways of knowing how to piss me off. Making my way into the living room, I flicked on the light-then turned it off. I was irritable and agitated and it frustrated me to no end that I didn’t know why. I sat on the sofa and stood back up. I walked to the front door and turned around. I opened a can of pop and left it on the counter. The clock read 4:00 am.
    Hot tears started to fill my eyes. I paced the floor, flipping my phone open and closed. Finally, I hit speed dial again. As it rang, I drew the curtains from the window but even the city-top view couldn’t bring up any remnant of feeling. I was numb, hardly feeling the cold hardwood floors I had spent so much money on under my feet.
    “Hey little lady.” My breath hitched in my throat as his voice came on the line. I sat down, my knees weak in relief. “Rins? You still there?” I frowned, I could hear breath huffing against the phone.
    “Are you running?” Concern settled like ice in the bottom of my stomach.
    “Not anymore, no.” His habitual redundant statements brought a small smile to my lips. “Gotta go, Missy, I’ll drop by as soon as I can.” I waited for him to hang up but after a few seconds I could still hear his too-fast breath.
    “Jenos?” He exhaled loudly on the other end. “Come home soon.” I don’t know what possessed me to say that last part. This certainly wasn’t his home, but it was too late to take it back now.
    “ `Course.” There was an odd quality to his statement. As though something big and unavoidable was going to happen. I wanted to be there when it did. I wanted to know what it was that I was missing out on. Whether it was good or bad or ugly. But the line clicked off and I stood for a moment with the phone to my ear trying to catch the last echoes of his voice that wouldn’t have existed over the phone anyway.
    The relationship between me and Jenos wasn’t really much more than a few drinks and a mutual attraction but somehow I felt connected to him. We’d worked together before, sometimes out of choice but the first few times I had been pressured into it. I’d been repelled by his attitude at first. He was a flirt, and sometimes a pervert but after awhile that had faded. I suspect he had gotten tired of putting on a show. It’d been two weeks since he last came to my house.
    I dropped the phone on the sofa and went back into the kitchen. The pop I’d left on the counter was flat now but I drank it anyway. I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher and stood in the centre of the room wondering what to do. The numbness was fading but I could feel the first drafts of anger winding around my chest. The clock read 4:56 am.

    I woke up with something warm pressed against my side. I opened my eyes slowly, reluctant to find out what it was. Jenos’ familiar jacket, smelling of cologne and outside was pressed against my cheek. Or rather, my cheek was resting on Jenos’ shoulder. He must have let himself in. I wanted to get up but I would probably wake him in doing so. Compromising, I shifted slightly so that I could fold my legs beneath me. My feet were cold. I couldn’t turn on the t.v. because he would most definitely wake up before I could mute it. At least I had fallen asleep in the living room instead of on my bed. He wouldn’t be next to me if I had. Jenos was polite to some extent.
    I looked over at him. His head was resting propped up on his hand (which would hurt when he woke up) and his other arm was draped over his stomach. Lucky for him I had fallen asleep sitting up too or he wouldn’t have had any room on my sofa (which was more of a love-seat). He still had his shoes on, which I let slide since he’d probably forgotten most of my house rules. Slowly, I stood up and then checked to see if I’d woken him. He sighed slightly but didn’t stir. Smiling, I noticed how serious his face was when he was asleep. It was something I’d never see on his features otherwise.
    In the kitchen, I pulled the eggs out of the fridge and cracked a few of them into a bowl. They were sizzling in the pan before Jenos walked in, rubbing his face with his hands.
    “ `didn’t let me sleep very long.” He complained. I smiled for him and made with the egg scrambling. “You sounded worried when you called.” He prompted, his head resting in his arms as he sat at the counter. I couldn’t see his face but I was sure there were circles around his eyes.
    “Did I?” I wasn’t exactly sure why I’d called him earlier or why I’d been so scared. He lifted his head enough to frown at me.
    “People don’t exactly call to chat at stupid o’clock in the morning, Missy.” He bent his wrist back and forth and I could imagine the grimace on his face (falling asleep like he had doesn’t exactly leave you refreshed and it hurts like hell).
    “Sorry. I don’t know why I was worried.” It was the truth. I piled the eggs on two plate and decorated them with salt and pepper. I’d forgotten to put toast in but I didn’t think Jenos would mind. I pushed his plate towards him until it nudged his hand.
    “Thanks,” he muttered. I sat next to him and started to eat but he sat with his head in his arms for a few more minutes before touching the food I’d put in front of him. Even then he just pushed it around his plate.
    “You okay?” I prodded his shoulder gently. He nodded absently. “Long night.” I said it as more of a statement than a question but he nodded again anyway. “ `m glad you’re back.” I wanted to wash the exhaustion from his features. There was a slight frown on his face and I wanted to smooth it away with my hands.
    “You mind if I crash for awhile?” The words slurred together somewhat and my heart squeezed. I gave him the go-ahead and cleared off his uneaten eggs. By the time I had finished our meagre dishes and walked back into the living room he had fallen asleep again. This time though, his legs were draped over one arm of the sofa and his head rested against the only throw pillow I had. His arms were folded across his chest. I crept into my room and retrieved the extra blanket I kept on my bed. Just as quietly, I shuffled back and lightly spread the blanket over him.
    “…thanks.” I jumped, expecting him to be sound asleep. He didn’t open his eyes though. I reached out and brushed the hair from his face, his hand caught mine. “Thought you were gonna let me sleep.”