The restaurant that held their reservation wasn't as high profile as the one with the view of the city had been, but it was quietly classy. The scents wafting on the air made their mouths water before they even reached their table. They were seated in a cozy spot suitable for a couple, even though there were families to either side.

When their waiter presented himself, Mizuki took one look and froze in surprise. She glanced at Sora and almost said something, but held back. She could only remember the way he had told her on their first night together, "I want to beat the crap out of him."

She couldn't help ordering rather nervously, but the young man who had once been horrid to her did his job efficiently and without comment. Once he moved on to his next table, she finally relaxed enough to enjoy the food and the view of the plaza.

Mizuki had been drinking her beverage too quickly at first, and found that she needed to empty her bladder before she could order dessert. She explained with embarrassment, "I need to visit the restroom, I'll be right back."

"Alright," Sora agreed. "If you don't get back in time, you may have to eat whatever dessert I order for you," he warned her with amusement.

Mizuki grinned at him and agreed, "Okay!"

Sora cheerfully took her things to keep with him, and Mizuki hurried off.

--

Mizuki was just exiting the cubicle to wash her hands when he grabbed her. She hadn't even realized that anyone else had entered the restroom.

He lifted her up by the wrists, and slammed her face forward into the wall beside the sinks, pinning her with his body.

She was so shocked that she couldn't even breathe, let alone scream. She tried to kick backwards, but she couldn't seem to get enough momentum behind the movement while pinned against the wall.

He simply ripped her underwear off instead of trying to remove them, and shock paralyzed her for a critical moment.

He seemed a lot stronger than she remembered. She wasn't able to stop him, it was already too late. She drew in a shuddering breath and struggled to force herself to scream.

Her lungs seemed to be failing her as he growled harshly, "You little slut! You think I'm going to let you bring your new guy here to flirt in front of me, without punishing you?"

She finally screamed.

Sora slammed into the restroom a few seconds, or an eternity later.

He grabbed the man who held Mizuki and threw him sideways into the sink.

Mizuki slid down the wall and started to cry.

Sora touched her shoulder for only a second, then he spun, and kicked the man lying on the floor.

Mizuki turned when she heard the impact, and saw Sora rebalancing to make another kick. She leapt to her feet, wrapped her arms around Sora's waist, and begged him, "Stop!"

"Stop!?" he asked angrily and incredulously

"He's unconscious, and if you kill him, you'll go to jail, and I need you Sora!" she cried.

She clung to him even though she knew exactly how ineffective her strength was. He yielded to her pull, turned back to her to scoop her up into his arms, and pressed his face into her hair.

Other people entered the restroom moments later, and they were forced to wait for the police to show up.

A report was deemed insufficient when the man on the floor couldn't be woken, and they were taken to the station to be questioned further.

--

Mizuki insisted that she wanted to file charges for rape, but the officer who was dealing with her informed her doubtfully, "He told his co-worker that his girlfriend had come to flaunt another man in front of him."

"We broke up last year!" Mizuki objected.

"I think you'll have better luck with a domestic violence charge," he recommended kindly.

Mizuki stared at him incredulously.

"We'll find out if he wants to press assault charges against your new boyfriend when he wakes up, but he probably will," he added.

Mizuki refused to reduce the accusation she wanted to make, and demanded to fill out the paperwork anyway.

--

When they were finally allowed to leave the station, Mizuki clung to Sora's hand and asked tearfully, "Can we get a hotel room, I don't think I can look at my parents right now."

"Okay," Sora agreed simply.

She wondered guiltily if he felt as tired as she did.

Sora dealt with everything. He got the car, he got her to the only decent hotel room he could find on Christmas night, and he informed her parents that they were staying out overnight.

--

When he set her gently on the bed she finally sobbed, "I'm sorry Sora."

"It is not your fault Mizuki!" he objected immediately.

She hadn't spoken again since they had left the police station, but he had been afraid to ask. "I was within ten meters of you the whole time and I couldn't protect you," he told her miserably as he knelt in front of her.

She gave a shuddering, tearful laugh, and asked, "Why would you have thought you would need to protect me for a brief visit to the restroom? I didn't think I needed you to protect me!"

"Mizuki," he said helplessly, and just hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry Sora, you were right, I couldn't do anything, I couldn't even scream at first," she said in a tearful flood against his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," he repeated.

"Isn't it? I didn't ask to leave the restaurant when I saw him. And I didn't tell you who he was because I didn't want you to hit him in the middle of our date," she admitted miserably.

"It's not your fault!" he insisted again. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

She couldn't find an answer at first. "Can we take a shower?" she asked after a little bit.

"Yes, of course," he agreed.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to stop crying," she apologized as he stood.

"It's okay," he assured her. "There's a soaking tub too, if you'd rather?"

Mizuki actually looked around the room for the first time and asked a little incredulously through her tears, "Are we in a honeymoon suite?"

"Yes," Sora replied as calmly as he could. "It's Christmas night Mizuki, big couple's dating holiday? There were hardly any places available," he informed her with somewhat shaky amusement.

"It must be so expensive," she complained as she got to her feet and pressed herself against him.

Sora caressed her gently and informed her, "I'd have paid a thousand for one night tonight, this is nothing."

Mizuki couldn't help giving a shaky little laugh.

Sora asked again, "Shower or tub?"

"Shower first," she whispered, even as her tears soaked through his shirt.