Is'haaq set the bowl of soup down before Juri, unable to even caution her before she reached out for it. She was ravenous, stopping only once three quarter of the bowl was empty. She hadn't even stopped for a breath, much like she had done with the past two bowls. He didn't know what else to do to help her. Feeding her just seemed like the obvious choice. And if he had to carry on holding her, he would have probably left her then and there to find the bastard who had hurt her.

But worst of all was the way she had almost snapped after he had helped her to change. It was as if a switch had gone off inside her telling her to push him back and talk about everything and anything else as if nothing had happened. It unnerved him and it scared him to watch her shift right before his eyes. And if he knew anything about anything, it was that when people did that that- they were actually in a world of shit.

"What?" she licked her lips before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Your staring is unnerving."

"You know what."

She shrugged and picked up her spoon once again.

"Don't ignore me, Juri." Is'haaq moved her bowl away from her.

"What do you want me to say?" she set her spoon down once more and leaned back in her chair. "I fucked someone else. What more do you want?"

He sighed. He couldn't do it. He thought he could keep it in, but he couldn't. "Fuck you, Juri. I fucking worry about you, okay! I show up at your door to find you looking like you've been fucking raped. You were tied to a fucking bed and you had bruises everywhere and all you can tell me is that you fucked someone else!" he stood up from his seat and turned away. "Fuck you!"

"I wasn't raped, okay! I told him it was okay." She mumbled.

He slapped his hand over his face, positively irked by her flippant behaviour. "It's not only rape if you said no. If you didn't really want it and he knew that, he raped you!"

"I wasn't raped, okay. Fuck you too! You don't know me enough to lecture me."

"So why the hell did you call me then?"

Her face turned down as the words left his mouth. She rubbed the back of her neck as she looked down at the table.

All the anger seeped out of him as he looked at her. She looked sad and pathetic and broken that being angry with her just felt wrong. He walked around the table and knelt beside her, turning her chair to face him. "Look at me, please."

"No. You'll just scream at me again." She said, indignant.

"I won't." he held her chin and turned her face towards him. "I've looked out for you ever since I can remember. You're still my Juri-even if we don't say it."

A smile found its way to her lips; small as it may have been. "Then why are you shouting me?" she finally looked up at him.

"Because I hate that someone hurt you. I hate even thinking about what happened to you last night. Why did you tell me not to take you to the police when you messaged me?"

"Because it's not going to help anyone. I don't need to go there."

"But you can lay a rape charge or a sexual assault charge or something. He can be put away."

She leaned her head against his chest as he began threading his fingers through her hair. "I don't want to. I had a problem and now it's fixed."

"By having sex with him?"

"I have sex with you for food, don't I?"

He kissed the crown of her head. "Juri, I'd feed you regardless."

"I know," she mumbled into his chest as she pulled him closer to her. "I'm sorry that I worried you but... it wasn't bad."

"What wasn't bad?"

"Last night.  He was just rougher than I'm used to. I hardly even feel anything now."

He held her back from him, unable to even comprehend what she had said. "You making excuses for that fucking bastard?"

"No, I just-"

"So it doesn't still hurt?" He rose up to his full height, baring down on her.

"No." she looked away from him and back down to her lap.

"Seriously?"

"Uhm hmm."

"So if I did this," he grabbed her left breast, squeezing it a little too firmly, "it doesn't hurt?"

"Nope." She said, pursing her lips as he squeezed her right breast.

"And if I did this?" he brushed his hand along her inner thigh, watching as she bit her lip to keep from gasping.

"Nope. Not at all."

"And here?" he made to cup her before she pushed his hand away.

"Okay, fuck off! It still hurts!" she pushed him back and stood up. "What the fuck are you trying to prove?"

"That you are fucking thick! You're thick in your fucking head and I'm fucking terrified that you're going to run off and get yourself hurt again." He turned away from her and stalked back to his room. He couldn't even be around her in her denseness. Was she just fucking insane?

He sat down heavily on his bad, rubbing his hands over his face before he leaned over, resting his forehead between his knees. Still seeing those bruises over her neck and hearing her light gasps as he touched her killed him inside. He didn't even want to imagine what that faceless bastard did to her for her to be as bruised and banged up as she was. Every single time his mind conjured up an image, he wanted to physically extract it from the vestiges of his brain and chuck it somewhere far away. The fact that any man could do that to her broke something inside of him. Just picturing it nearly brought him to tears.

And then to see her act so irreverently about it all just made it even worse. It was as if she had resigned herself to the idea that it was okay when it wasn't. No one should have ever hurt her that way. She was too damned precious to not be treasured.

"I'm sorry." Her body curled into his own yet still, he ignored her. "Please, Is'haaq. I'm sorry."

He shook her off him. "I don't need your apology. I need you to stay safe."

She made her way back to his side, tucking her head into his shoulder. "I will be. It was just one time." She kissed the side of his neck until he had softened and allowed her to nestle further into him.

He wrapped his arm around her and leaned back, taking her with him. They didn't need pillows or conversation. They just needed that.

Only that.

Until the room darkened and the stars glimmered from beyond the thin gossamer voile covering his windows.