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Bad girl.
Naughty girl.
The insults ran through her mind like gnats, the buzzing bringing her to tears as she stumbled home, reeking of alcohol she didn’t dare drink. Of course it was a mistake. Of course she shouldn’t have snuck out on a Friday night, eyes coated with her father’s eyeliner, feet blistering in her black heels and legs sticky under her skinny jeans. Her hair, once neatly styled, hung limply around her face in an attempt to cover up the blossoming mark on her neck. She broke into a sprint when she saw her house, the porch light warm and inviting. Despite the fact that she had broken several rules, she still longed for her bed, for her fathers to kiss her on the forehead, telling her how they were so lucky to have her, then they would creep away and go to bed too, and everyone would reunite in the morning.
She made it to the doorway, choking back tears as she slowly opened the door, praying they were just asleep and her dad had just forgotten to turn the light off when he got back from a late night ride. On shaky limbs she crept in, quietly taking off her shoes, gently closing the door.
“Konomi! Oh Mondo she’s safe!”
Upon hearing her father’s voice she burst into tears, partly from relief and partly from fear.
“Daddy.” She whispered, running to rest in his arms. He still smelled like the starch he ironed with every morning, his arms still felt the same, inviting and warm. She missed him. Even though the other kids chugged vodka and complained about their parents, she bunched her hands into her tank top and tried not to cry, regretting her decision. She never wanted to leave again. She never wanted to go another day without seeing him, never wanted to fathom a day where she would throw her bag on the couch and it wouldn’t be his voice ringing from the kitchen, begging for details about school and piano practice. And of course, next to him would always and forever be-
“Oh thank god. You’re okay.”
She turned and saw her other father, his face ragged and etched with worry. The white tank top he always slept in was wrinkled and stained, tiger print shorts clinging to his legs.
“I’m here.” She whispered. He blinked, then collapsed on the floor, tears pouring out of his face.
“Kono-I thought! I thought you were gone!” he sobbed, a sight she wasn’t used to. Her father was always upstanding, proudly strutting around the house in his old gang jacket, bragging about how he used to drive his husband absolutely crazy, and how he still drove his motorcycle to work and was cool. Even when something bad happened and her other father was crying, his face never gave anything away. He was her anchor, someone she could trust to get her out a situation without letting his messy emotions get in the way. Except for now, it seemed.
“No.” she croaked out, kneeling next to him. “I’m here. And I’m staying.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled into his shoulder, something she used to do when he would carry her around confidently, telling everyone who cared to listen that this girl was his daughter and no one was to lay a finger on her. Her other father always said there was always a lot of coaxing involved to get him to let her go.
“Where were you Konomi?” Taka demanded, after Mondo’s little fit passed.
“I went to a party. I just wanted to see what went on. But…but…it was awful.”
Taka’s face softened and he sat next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. It was obvious he was struggling to look stern. Konomi was his child, literally his, his name was on the birth certificate, and his eyes were the first thing he saw when she was born, a mix of red and pink hues blended to form a color you could never quite look away from.
And it was those eyes Konomi looked into, and she swore her father saw all of the fears and secrets she was holding in.
“Tell us what happened.” He said gently, running a smooth hand over her bare shoulder.
“I got there and…everyone was drinking. It was loud and hot and I wanted to leave, but there was this guy and he kept on cornering me when I headed to the door. He said I was pretty and we should go to the back and talk.” She pretended to ignore the horror on both parents’ faces as they awaited the next sentence. “So I did. I went with him.”
“Did he touch you? Did he lay his filthy fuckin paws on ya?” Mondo yelled, laying a protective hand on her arm.
“Mondo.” Taka whispered, shooting his husband a warning look. “Getting angry won’t help matters.”
She felt her face heat up with shame as she remembered everything that happened after that. “We went to a room and sat on the bed for a while, actually talking! I thought he was a great guy.” Mondo looked away in disgust, and she flinched and directed her gaze to her fingers. “But he said he wanted to give me something to remember him by…and that’s how I got this.” She tilted her head up and pointed to the hickey planted under her jawline. Taka closed his eyes and sighed while Mondo cursed under his breath, making her heart sink. She bowed her head and felt tears drip down her face. “Please forgive me.” She said weakly, not daring to look at either of them. They were disgusted with her, disgusted she would be stupid enough to go with a guy she didn’t know. She braced for the lecture and yelling, but it never came.
Instead, two pairs of arms embraced her, planting kisses on her cheeks and forehead. They smoothed her hair back and gently rocked her, allowing her to weep quietly, shushing her when she tried to apologize. Mondo helped her wipe off the eyeliner, Taka put ice on the mark. When they finished, they took her to bed, kissed her forehead, and told her she was such a lucky, lucky girl.