A.N.: After the response to the last chapter... wow. Some of you readers scare me now  O_o

Hopefully this will appease you. *fingers crossed*

Hands pressed against the cool tile, one curled into a tight fist, Jessie bowed her head, as the hot water cascaded over her bare body. Turning off the water she stepped dripping, out onto the bath rug. She grabbed the towel off the rack and wrapped it around her body. Crossing over to the sink she used her hand to wipe a section of the mirror clear of condensation.

Jessie ran her fingers through her wet hair, squeezing out the excess moisture that clung to it.

There was a knock.

“Come in.”

 The door opened just enough for Aiba to cautiously peek his head around it. Jessie tucked the towel tighter.

Pushing the door open the rest of the way Aiba entered and set a change of clothes on the counter. Tai scurried in after him and headed straight for Jessie, and began to at the drops of water on her leg. Jessie carefully squatted down to pet him, making sure she kept a hold on her towel and her knees together.

Aiba collected up Jessie’s dirty and only known remaining clothing from the floor and made a move to leave.

“I’ll put these in the wash.”

“Wait.” Jessie got back to her feet. She approached him and removed her bra and from the bundle. “I’m still going to need those.”

Undergarments fisted tightly in her hand and pressed against her chest, Jessie gave Aiba a one armed side hug.

“Thank you.”

Aiba awkwardly hugged her towel clad form back. “I’ll, uh, let you get dressed.”

***

Aiba was sitting on the couch channel flipping when Jessie came out dressed in one of his long sleeve t-shirts and a pair of gym shorts. The shirt swallowed her, and the shorts fell below her knee. She dropped down on the opposite end of the sofa, pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

Tai jumped and scrambled up onto the sofa only to crawl onto Aiba’s lap instead. He scratched the top of Tai’s head.

“We should probably call Nora and Sho.”

Jessie shook her head. “Aa… I’m too tired to deal with anything or anyone else.”  She reached for and removed the remote from Aiba’s hand. “So, what’s on at this hour on a Tuesday?”

She flipped through the channels until she came across a rerun of Bleach that was airing and, not caring that it was in Japanese, settled back more comfortably into the sofa.

While she watched the cartoon, Aiba watched Jessie until Tai nudged his hand with his wet nose because he’d stopped scratching.

By the time the end credits started playing Jessie had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Aiba turned off the TV and carefully slipped his arms around her shoulders and under her legs, lifting her bridal style. He carried her out of the living area and down the hall to the second bedroom where he gently laid her in the bed and pulled the covers up.

Brushing an unruly lock of her blond hair from her forehead he allowed his hand to linger on the top of her head for a moment before going to turn off the overhead light and close the door behind him.

***

Jessie woke up sometime during the middle of the night in a cold sweat and completely disoriented. The bed felt to large, the room to spacious and it was entirely to dark.

She sat up right and fisted the covers as she took deep breaths and attempted to orient herself. Finally she remembered where she was and why. And only a moment longer to realize that Aiba must have put her to bed.

But Tai was nowhere in sight.

Tossing back the covers Jessie went and opened the door. He wasn’t sleeping in the living room which left only one other place where he could be.

Jessie as quietly as possibly opened the door to Aiba’s room, using the light from the hall to see. Aiba was asleep on his stomach facing away from the door with Tai curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed.

“Tai,” Jessie whispered. His ear merely twitched in response. She crouched down and crawled partially into the room. “Tai,” she repeated a bit louder.

This time he lifted his head and yawned before looking her.

“Tai, kochi koi,” Jessie hissed, waving him towards her.

Tai got to his feet, stretched, turned in a circle and lay back down.

“Really?” Jessie pouted. “Come on Tai… I need you.”

With a sigh she crawled to the bed and kneeling at the foot reached over slid her hand under Tai’s belly, pulling him toward her. He whined in protest and she murmured to sooth him. Finally with him cradled in her arms she got to her feet.

“Jessie-kun?”

Aiba had rolled over and sat up, rubbing his face groggily, the covers pooled about his waist revealing his bare chest. From the light that spilled in from the hall Jessie could just make out the mottled outline on his shoulder.

“Gomen… nemuru nai. Tai hoshi.”

“Why can’t you sleep?”

“Um… hen no beddo to heya. To… warui yume.”

Nodding in understanding Aiba reached back and pulled the second pillow he’d been using out from under the first, instead laying them side by side. Tossing the covers back he patted the bed next to him.

“You can sleep here.”

Jessie raised an eyebrow. “I never even slept with my dad after nightmares as a child. Why would I start now, with you?”

Ignoring her, Aiba reached out and caught her by the arm, tugging her down beside him. Tai took the opportunity to crawl into the space between them as Aiba tucked the blankets around Jessie. Patting her on the shoulder Aiba yawned and rolled back over and within moments his breathing indicated that he had fallen back asleep.

Jessie stared at his back for a bit before rolling over to face the outside edge of the bed. She bent her legs and slid her arm under the pillow. Tai’s warmth at her back, the sound of Aiba breathing, and the light from the hall relaxed her, and she soon drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.